The Silver Eyed Alchemist
by GravityMassUniverse
Summary: If getting reborn after having a somewhat embarrassing if odd death can be considered bad luck. Getting reborn as the dead mom archetype in a world different than the one you know can be considered even worse luck. But at least I have my magic laser eyes and magical science to back me up.
1. Early Days Arc: Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

Gonna be honest here, this is a really weird idea for a fan fiction, though when I think about it thats not really true. Regardless a good fraction of chapter two is done, so uh you should be expecting more in the future.

Any-who I'll just go right out and say it, I don't own RWBY characters... please follow and review

 **Chapter One: Flamel Rose**

That was…what happened? Last I remembered I was walking down the street when an avalanche of roses blinded me. Then there was a flash of light as I was hit by something and then thrown into something else. I remember the pain and agony as something massive crashed into me.

D-Did I die? What a weird way to go then… Death by a bundle of roses…

Dammit…dammit.

DAMMIT! Why?! I haven't even gotten a chance to live my life yet, I never even got a shot at _finishing_ a semester of college. I took a breath and decided to walk, maybe this was just a bad dream and I would wake up eventually. I decided to look down and I found I didn't really have much of a body right now. It was there, but sort of whited out in the same way someone whites out a mistaken pen mark. I was surprised but I was never one to externally panic so much. Of course on the inside I was screaming and crying for mommy just a little, but no one else will get to know that.

My panics and screams continued onwards for several minutes until I finally burned myself out. Once I stopped I decided to take a closer look around this place. It was a huge white void lacking of form or color, infinite in scope, and beyond human comprehension. My body spasmed at the sight of the unnatural void. When I turned around to face a strange pressure…

I almost screamed out a mouth I didn't have as strange white outed being stood inches from my face. It's eyeless face split into an unnerving grin as I freaked out. A resounding chuckle echoed through the white chamber, and I felt static in my ears. I shook my head, trying to get the painful sound out.

"W-What…are you?" My throat felt parched like I had spent months wandering out in the Sahara. The beings grin shrunk away, and I felt raw existential terror as the beings appearance felt familiar.

" **What am I?** " I curled up into a ball at the beings response. " **I am known by many names child of Earth. But in this role you can call me Death.** " The moment he said this the terrifying vibe faded. The white room was replaced by a plush office building and the being had shifted into an obscured coat. Death racked his fingers against the hardwood desk with almost boredom.

"Um…hi?" The apparent physical manifestation of entropy was strangely calm and I didn't feel even the slightest bit threatened. The tall bony skeleton seemed oddly familiar in some strange way. Almost like an old friend, or a parent or grandparent.

"Sorry about that…there were some small errors here and there with your death" I nodded hesitantly as he started to page through a small book. He looked unsure as he read through it, and gave me a pitying look.

"How unfortunate…you were meant to live until the ripe old age of 109." I felt grief and fear come upon me like ravenous wolves, and I did my best to stay quiet. I had no idea what I was supposed to do anymore.

"What…killed me?" He scratched his head at my question and I wondered if I had died an embarrassing death.

"Well you were blinded by a bundle of roses and in your distraction, a truck slammed you into a gas station where you exploded."

…

…

"Please tell me you're joking."

"I'm sorry." I placed my head on my hands at the response, and groaned. This couldn't be happening to me. Just for the love of god, why the hell does the universe hate me so?

"Well since _this._ " Death flourished his hands for emphasis. "Wasn't supposed to happen, you're being given a second chance in…"

"Another world." Death had intentionally stopped, and I crossed my arms already knowing there this was going. I've read it a hundred times, someone dies they get another chance…so on and so forth. Death or whatever he is seemed to agree and nodded.

"So do I get to choose or…?" He shook his head and I almost pouted. He looked a little sorry for me, and I knew something was up. He sighed and placed his hand on my shoulder. "I'm sorry but one world has already begun to claim you." I felt a strange pressure well up inside of me as something seemed to pull on my _soul._

Death actually winced and I knew it was bad based on just that. "You likely won't remember most of your first decade or so… which is likely for the best" I was afraid to ask what he meant by that. "You will receive a few boons that will help you, otherwise you'd be dead within a week. It comes at a cost however, and will be _quite_ painful."

I felt my breath cut short as the room dissolved back into the white void. I fell flat on my ass as I smacked right into a huge nearly blank black door. Three more were parked around it forming a square shape. The other three were far more elaborate, with multiple strange symbols and signs all over them. I could see salamanders, lions and other occult images around them. Mine was simpler and only had some basic chemical formulas, the basic materials and components of guncotton and the stoichiometric ratio of liquid methane and oxygen, some biological formulas from AP biology and some math. The first three activated, their lightning arcing into mine.

The gateway was nearly torn off its hinges as a mass of black tentacles and eye leaped out. I screamed out and scrambled away in vain, as one of the arms grabbed ahold of my calf. I swear blood swelled out from my fingers as I tried to hold on. I was dragged into a limitless darkness, alone and afraid.

I didn't want to die…

I won't…DIE. I won't

Die…

For a brief moment a light shined and I followed despite the usual warnings about following a light. I couldn't give a rat's ass about that, I just wanted to live! I reached for the light and swam through the dark abyss until I could finally touch the light.

But when I did…

Something happened to me…I smacked into another weak soul and felt a terrible searing pain run through my body. Memories and information were absorbed into my brain…what felt like years passing by in the blink of an eye. The pain was unbearable… and for a brief second I hoped it would stop as the darkness vanished…a blurry and staticky image of a lab visible.

Until the strange area glowed and I started screaming…My mind fading under the barrage of memories and pain…

I heard quiet breathing… my breathing. My eyes burned as sunlight passed through and I grumbled with irritation. I kept my eyes closed as I stood up. But when took a single step, I tripped over my own two feet, and let out a feminine high pitched yelp.

"W-What?" I scrambled into my feet, and heard the flow of running water. I decided to follow it, thinking I could use it to see my reflection. My walk was unsteady and my body felt just odd…

"Woah…"

It's beautiful here…there was a huge and pristine creek shaded by multiple oak trees. I could hear the squeaking and chattering of small animals, with a squirrel passing right under my legs. I slowly walked up to a still pool nearby, and rubbed the soft fabric I was wearing. As I looked down to face my distorted reflection however…

W-What that doesn't make any sense no, no…that's impossible.

"No…"

I grasped my face in shock and horror. That isn't my face, that isn't my face. In the mirror I could see what I looked like now. I grabbed my now heart shaped face, ending in a point, my silver eyes wide open in befuddlement. I brushed my hands through my long and choppy black hair, that gradually turned red at the tips. I was wearing a black sweater that was a little too big for my thin body, ending with white shorts. The outfit was topped with red gloves, two elaborate arrays stitched into them. I also had on a thick white backpack that jingled with _something_. Whatever was in it was incredibly heavy, but I didn't bother taking it off, since it felt important. I turned back to inspect myself some more. My skin color was a pale almost milky white, and my thin lips had formed into a pout.

"What is going o-on?" I sank to the floor as an incoming flood of bungled memories smacked my head like a jackhammer. Strange concepts and names filled my mind, and I felt only confusion and fear as everything mixed together. For a moment I felt like I was forgetting who I was, until the storm of foreign memories seemed to calm.

The memories seemed more like a distant long forgotten experience rather than something recent. Like something from a third person experience rather than something I had lived through. You would think not losing yourself would be a positive thing, but that little incident had told me just how screwed I really am.

I am Summer Rose.

Ok…now let's recap what's happening right now. One moment I was …walking down the streetand the next I meet Death and end up in the body of a ten to eleven years old child with magic laser eyes.

Fantastic… _yay_. Well at least I get another chance, rather than dying and never getting to do what I wanted to do. But as as silver eyes warriors I'm not sure I'm ever going to get that chance for very long. I could hide away as a civilian but I didn't find my change very good that I would survive. I would have to find somewhere to live in one of the major walled cities, and would get noticed by someone _eventually._

I took a deep breath, and decided to sieve through my new memories. Most of them were useless, and the first two years were a complete blur. Only vague and murky memories of warmth, and usual gross baby things. I didn't have much memories of any family, not even a hint. A scene full of screaming and sobbing was all that I remembered.

"That's not very helpful." I poked my soft hair, and sighed as I looked around the really rather pretty wilderness. I need to leave, maybe if I'm lucky this is just a really big park in a city, instead of a Grimm infested forest.

But I had my doubts I would be that lucky. I searched around the area, looking to see if I could figure out where I had to go to get out of here. My brain told me to head left and I did. I felt it was best to follow the part of me that had been living and breathing in this world rather than little old me. After a few minutes I found a house in an open field, strangely bereft of any signs of grimm incursion. There was a certain vibe that told me to stay away, but my legs ignored the command to leave.

I opened the door…and gagged as a putrid smell filled my nose. The interior of the house looked brand new but _something_ just wasn't right. I ended up in the living room which looked pretty normal. There was a television of some sort on the left wall, with a shaggy carpet in between it and the couch. There was also a small interconnected kitchen that looked filled to the brim with food. A huge bookshelf to the right of the television like device. It was filled with a number of strange nearly esoteric books, and picked one thin black book out to read.

 _Science of Alchemy Volume 1_

 _By Perenelle Rose_

What the hell is this? My… _her_ mother is an alchemist? I opened it up curious to see what was written in it. It also helped to calm down my raging headache.

"Alchemy is the scientific technique of understanding the structure of matter, decomposing it and then reconstructing it. A nearly lost mythical science known only by a select few. This book and its fellow volumes show the basic science of alchemy and how to perform it. A mix of chemistry, artistry and mysticism, the power of alchemy is nearly limitless. But only those with the knowledge and fortitude are able to use this incredible science to its fullest extent." I paged through the book and stopped at a tutorial.

"Circle…" Out of curiosity as well as a strange urge I decided to follow some of the instructions, grabbing some chalk as well as a large stone slab. I drew a practically perfect circle, with another smaller circle within, with an equilateral triangle meeting its vertices with the outer circle. Three smaller circles were all between the two inner shaped, a straight line meeting with the outer array/circle. The array was rather simple, and had no writing. I picked up a loose piece of stone that I absentmindedly identified as granite.

"72.04% silica, 14.42% alumina, 4.12…" I shook my head as I placed the rock on the array. I had my doubts it would work at all but…I was curious. "A basic and generic transmutation array, mainly for deconstruction and reconstruction…"

Well let's test this shit out then. I placed my hands to complete the circle with the thought of what I wanted to make. Let's turns this granite into a nice little birdy then. I closed my eyes doubting it would work, magic like this didn't exist if this is the RWBY universe.

The glowing blue light clearly begged to differ, and my jaw dropped at the crude copy of a crow. It had the same shape but the small details weren't there, the texture was missing. Kind of like if a child had made a bird from playdo. I leaned away from the damn witchcraft and looked down at my trembling hands.

Oh god my head! Why won't it stop?! The stench grew stronger, and I decided to follow it. It smelled like something had spoiled or an animal had died somewhere. I went forward walking through a small hallway with three doors, and glanced down into a dark downstairs area.

"Maybe I shouldn't go down to the dark, scary basement?" I asked myself why I was doing this. But I knew I couldn't take that smell, and it was certainly coming from downstairs. And where else was I going to go? I was in the middle of nowhere and it was unlikely anyone could find me.

So I went down the stairs…

The room was dark and the smell of death was even more imbedded into the musty and stale air. There was a weak light that shined upon three unmoving _objects_ on the floor. I held tightly onto the lovingly stitched book c and I drew closer. I…took smaller more hesitant steps toward them, dread rising up with each creak of steps.

Oh _god_ what…

There were three lifeless bodies leaking blood all over the ground. I felt sick and stumbled onto the ground as I tripped over a bottle. When I lifted up my head however I came face to face with someone looking _far_ too much like me. I screamed and scrambled backwards.

"No…no…NO!" I threw up at the horrible sight, and couldn't look away from the horrid injuries. All three people were heavily wounded, and I closed my eyes when I caught a peak of their insides. My throat tasted like shit and I gagged at the body tissues streamed about like confetti.

Get away from here… I ran up the stairs in a panic, and nearly threw up again as I ran out of the house. I just kept running, I couldn't stop myself.

I…

I hadn't stopped running for nearly 10 minutes , and I still hadn't reached the edge of this forest. I think I was close, but I certainly couldn't tell with my eyes alone. The light from the sun started to die down, and I noticed a thunderstorm was rolling in. A flash of light flew through the sky and I started counting.

1…2,3

4,5,6

 _Crack!_

That isn't good at all… I have to move and _fast_. I picked up the pace, my destination thankfully not leading directly toward the storm. I felt invigorated, a strange energy pulsing and surging within me. I could hear more thunder, but it grew quieter and quieter as I ran. The forest grew more sparse and I could smell the signature scent of a large town or city. I couldn't smell any burning so it was probably still a safe town.

"Grrr…" That was about when I heard the worst thing possible for a wayward kid. The growl of a Grimm wolf on the prowl for its tiny and easy prey. I ran faster and did my best to keep myself calm and not terrified. The growls behind me told me I had failed terribly.

I could hear three rustlings all coming from behind me, which was obvious. Oh god I don't want to die! I've already done it once, I don't want to do it again. My jogging shifted into a full on sprint, but I knew they would catch up. I know I was stronger than I was Before, but these things could take hits from Huntsmen and not instantly _explode_. I almost certainly wasn't strong enough to take one of those dogs down.

My heart rate sped up even more, as the plodding of clawed feet and rustling leaves alerted me.

" _AWOOO!_ " I ran even faster as a fourth louder and and even more blood curdling howl echoed through the forest. My heart practically burst out of my chest as I tripped over a branch.

No… _OWWW!_ I screamed silently, as I felt the wind get knocked out of me. I was now whimpering near a log and in a panic crawled inside of it. A deep growl shook the log, and claws scraped against the old wood. I rolled into a ball as my fear overwhelmed me. The beast's growls grew stronger and more frenzied as it could now taste the terror coursing through my veins. I quieted my whimpers hoping it couldn't hear me. The crack as my log was torn in half wiped away any of my delusions. I could hear him lift his paws one more time, ready to tear me limb from limb, and paint the ground with my entrails and feast on my bones.

I pressed my hands against the log in vain, thinking that somehow my hands would save me. I didn't want to go, I _wouldn't_ go out like this. I _needed_ to know…what could I do to stop that thing from cleaving the tree in half. I didn't know what the hell this tree was made of. I didn't know alchemy well enough to make this tree stronger. I _need_ to know this tree's structure and composition.

I _will_ know…

Everything started to become clear as I felt a dam burst within me. It flooded out and invigorated me, and I blinked as stars showed up in my vision. The log shimmered briefly and suddenly I knew everything there was to know, about this particular log.

The log came from an oak tree, was made of 50% Cellulose, 20% Lignin, and 30% hemicellulose. There were other more detailed numbers and information but I absorbed them in the blink of an eye. I could feel it's structure and knew it would never be strong enough to face a single swipe of my executioner's blade. This body, this form crafted and grown over countless decades, finally ready to fall completely against the claws of a monster.

I saw what I needed to do within my eyes mind.

I needed to _transmute_ it with alchemy and shift it into something so much stronger than it could ever be, then…I had a chance. The byproducts would have a further use too, and I wouldn't let this chance go by.

Time seemed to slow down to a crawl, and I smacked the inner side of the log with everything I had. The incredible array on my gloves blazed with blue lightning, and I heard the slow growl of pain as the Grimm smashed its massive hand against one of the strongest and rarest materials known.

Carbyne…I could sense the nitrogen, hydrogen, and oxygen form a brief burst of gas, confusing the Grimm. It gave me a terrible, terrible idea especially as the wolf changed tactics, reaching out for me with its claws. I strained to convert more and more of the tree to carbyne, barely able to shield it from itself. Too unstable to make for long.

I condensed the air, and grabbed two rocks and clicked them down together as the flammable gas grew more abundant.

Closer…just ignore the growls, keep it together. Make a spark, make a spark.

Make…a SPARK!

Just as long claws lunged for my face, the spark flew and I lost control over the unstable allotrope.

 _BOOM!_

The beast took the brunt of the explosion, and I was thrown back catching a sharp rock with my chest and stomach. Further explosions followed, and with my blurry eyesight I saw multiple Grimm fighting against the intense flames, they were screaming as their skin was burned off their bodies.

I…fuck yeah, take that you something…something.

As my eyes started to close shut, I saw a blur cut through the remaining Grimm like a hot knife through butter. Whatever or whoever it was kept his distance and I tried to call out to him. I screamed until my voice was hoarse, and nearly gave up hope until he jolted.

I smiled in relief as he ran toward me, my sight growing blurrier by the second. He _blurred_ and I collapsed further as he lifted me up in his strong arms.

The only thing I remember before passing out was the cane he used as a weapon.

" _This was a mistake!_ " I whimpered as an ashamed and guilty sounding female voice echoed through the darkness.

" _But this is a complete breakthrough! Transdimensional Aura transference opens up new possibilities of science and alchemy! And the knowledge we've obtained from that other world in what they call 'chemistry' and their physics and aerodynamics…'_ A deep and rumbling male voice responded to the motherly one and I could hear the women's huff.

 _"People had to DIE to get that knowledge Nicholas! And Summer is sick and confused, the poor soul forcefully pulled into our world without a choice."_ The male growled and I flinched as something broke.

 _"It doesn't matter if a person or three gets hurt! With this new knowledge, we can save millions of lives. This could be a new rebirth of Alchemy, perhaps we can even learn the secrets of Dust itself._ " I trembled as my body felt achy and a full on shouting match started. The darkness around me grew darker and darker, the shadows cutting deeper.

The memory faded and I could now see a shadowed scene, a mother and her little girl conversing quietly. The mother was lying down on one knee while placing her hand on the child's forehead. The child was shivering and I felt a nearly familiar longing.

" _Where does it hurt?_ " The girl shook her head, and removed her mother's hand from her head.

" _I miss them…I want to go home. But I also want to bring you with me away from that monster. Alchemy seems like such a gift, a miracle, it's not the end all be all of course. But if people worked together it could be a tool to do so much good."_ The young mother stroked the child— _my_ head with motherly affection and I felt terrible that I had forgotten such a kind women. We kept talking transitioning into whispered Spanish. The scene faded from sight…and the dream shuddered once again.

We were in the basement…

" _You bastard…you killed him!_ " Her/my mother shrieked lunging against the taller man. With a flash of white aura she was on her knees, her breath ragged. I was there too…trembling with unholy terror.

" _He's not dead yet…the brat's mention of that stone. If she can get power like that…she'll be an unstoppable killing machine!_ " The man sounded mad, and the women… _Perenelle_ lobbed a wad of spit in his face. He attempted to back slap her but she nearly cut him with a concealed knife. I started to scream as everything became distorted…only brief flashes like broken glass shining through.

A fight that moved faster than the blink of an eye, the other man standing up and fighting. And ending with the circle activating… and all three of them collapsing.

The women laughed bitterly as she lay bleeding out on the floor. S— _I_ stood catatonically and walked robotically outside…like a puppets whose strings had been cut. That…horrible man screamed out in rage and betrayal.

" _I helped you design the array Remember? Did you Really think I would let you make an actual one? But even so…you still got a bit of what you wanted dead old Nicholas. She's stronger than ever before if not in the way you wanted…and I think that will comfort her._ " The other unnamed man spoke up with with a hint of well deserved smugness.

" _She won't remember you…the trauma is too great._ "

I already knew that was a lie…this dream alone was a middle finger to that fucking bastard. I'm not sure I really wanted to remember more…but if there are more memories of her…it won't be so bad.

" _I still won you…"_ Everything grew silent and I knew all three humans were gone from this world, their injuries and the drainage of their aura too great for them to sustain.

I…

The darkness…cutting once more and my consciousness faded…

"Hmm…" I grumbled as I held on tightly to my pillow, not able or willing to stand the harsh light over my head. Wherever I was felt comfortable, except what felt like hands rails where my bare toes curled up against them.

Aluminum, plastic, steel…stretcher…

My eyes opened wide as _everything_ flooded back in and I felt my lip quiver as the sadness and confusion sunk in. I was staring against an unfamiliar ceiling(heh) and was almost ready to stand straight up until I heard a polite cough. I leaned against the bed I was in, and carefully straightened my back against the wall. Sitting down on a standard wooden chair was a man in his early thirties with tousled black if graying hair and thin brown eyes. He had a light complexion with sharp features and a mysterious half smile.

Oh _god_ it's Professor Ozpin in his youth…and that could only mean that he…

"Is something the matter?" I shook my head at the older man's question. He looked skeptical but it weakened when I started quivering. I took a closer look and marvelled at how little he had changed. He looked younger, but he wore essentially the same outfit after so many decades. It was a little nerve wracking to meet the Wizard responsible for creating the Maidens. To meet someone who had been fighting against evil for _thousands_ of years on end.

It was frightening too, to meet someone who probably saw me as a chess piece in a game as old as this entire world. He remained silent as I got my bearings, still unable to believe what had just happened to me. I sniffed as a strong and _delicious_ fragrance wafted through the room. I'm sure my eyes lit up, as a nurse of some sort brought in a food cart. She was nice and curvy and looked like someone out of a magazine.

She wore the usual blue nurse's outfit that could barely contain how womanly she was. I glanced away from the perky brunette and my arms rose up of their own volition. Not that I would stop them, I'm hungry as fuck and a guy—gals got to eat. She gave me an amused smirk that made me flush, and then passed a few plates of food. One plate contained a great deal of pasta, the second to the left of it had some kind of seasoned chicken, while the third had a few apple slices and two chocolate chip cookies.

I could barely contain myself, but I managed to keep from gorging out. You would think hospital food would taste bad, but in this case it was great. I ate the pasta first, and despite my restraint I still ate it all within a few minutes. The chicken came next, and I was tearing the meat off the bones ravenously.

"Good…" I muttered as I took another bite, and pouted when I realized it was all gone. I ate the sweet apple slices slower, and kept asking myself why I never ate more apples when I…was alive. I shook my head, not wanting to think about it. Soon I was nibbling on the cookies, and covered my eyes with my long hair out of embarrassment. Both the adults were grinning and I growled in frustration, as some stray thoughts hit me. Now that I was kid again, people would take me even less seriously than _before_ , dammit!

"Azora…thank you for bringing the young child a meal. If you wouldn't mind, I would like to speak with her alone." The nurse nodded with trust in her eyes, and she ducked out of the room before I could say anything. I straightened up my back, and faced the Headmaster with a tilt of my head.

"Is something wrong mister?" I felt like that might be the best way to address him as a ten year old. Hopefully it wouldn't look like I was forcing it and he would buy it. He looked a little hesitant for a moment, before his expression hardened and he gave me a more steady look.

"Yes…I have some questions for you, young lady. Do you mind if you can answer them for me?" I shook my head, deciding to accede to his request, believing that being difficult would only raise his suspicions. Ozpin leaned down to face me, and I directed my gaze to his nose. I don't think I could maintain with eyes that intense looking.

"Now what were you doing in that forest?" I opened my mouth and then closed it again. What the hell _was_ I doing at such a dangerous and isolated forest with a bunch of dead bodies? I rubbed my chin, and went through my memories to figure it out but got nothing. The only guess I had was that whoever took care of me were alchemists and something went terribly wrong as one of them went mad with power. I gave him a shrug and he again looked skeptical.

"Sorry…but it's the truth, I don't remember _how_ I even got there. I'm just as confused as you are." That seemed to belay his suspicions and I let out a breath, having held it by mistake.

"Fair enough…how about your name? Do you remember that?" I nodded and he looked pleased.

"Summer Rose." He didn't _seem_ to find it familiar, but he did look happy to hear it. Whether it's because I remember something or because he finds it familiar I couldn't know. I hoped the questions were done for now until the wizard threw me a curve ball.

"Summer…" I flinched as he called me by my name. "In the area where I found you, there was some _odd_ material lying around, along with the smell of gas. You wouldn'tknow anything about that _would_ you?" I started to fiddle with my fingers, as my anxiety and nervousness came out to play. He had the look of a man that had gotten a _checkmate_ and I knew I was done for. I could still play this off a bit, he didn't seem to know we had a lot in common yet. So telling him my semblance in the right way shouldn't be an issue, my special silver eyes had already brought his attention anyway.

"Uh…well when I was looking for a way out of the forest…I got found by Beowolves." I shuddered as I remembered the horrible scene, and felt sick for a moment. I jumped as Ozpin placed his hand on my tiny shoulder, and I calmed myself. "I hid in a hollow log out of panic, but they still f-found me. I didn't want to…" the headmaster gave me an understanding look, and I kept going. "I felt _something_ inside of me rise up to the surface in defiance. Then I touched the log and I knew _everything_ about it, and made it into something else."

"By something else…" I jolted up as Ozpin pulled a black object from a sealed bag. A small piece of black carbon revealed itself.

"Yeah mean _this._ " I nodded and he looked like he was satisfied with the answers he had gotten.

"You seem to have unlocked your semblance then young Summer." I tilted my head, feigning child like confusion.

"Semblance?" I asked him with a curious expression. On the inside however I was screaming out to the heavens above.

Semblance…I have a semblance, I have a semblance!

Holy shit…

"You should know about aura yes?" I nodded my head unsurely and he smiled at my answer.

"Your Semblance is the unique power manifested by your soul. It represents an aspect of yourself, of your personality." I nodded along to his brief explanation, if my hands felt clammy as his expression turned grave.

"Once someone's aura is activated it's impossible to go back to a normal life." I already suspected I was screwed when that happened. "You'll also have a more difficult time interacting with others of your age without…incidents."

Fair enough…a normal human would literally _explode_ under the kind of damage even the weakest aura used could do. If I interacted with the only somewhat tougher Remnan civilians then I would probably kill them by accident.

Still a strange coincidence that _Ozpin_ of all people would be the one to find me of all people. Could be any number of reason why it was him. Maybe he knew where I was, or whatever brought me here decided to help out. It could be total dumb luck and I'm very very happy if it was. I very much would like my insides to stay insides. But I guess getting roped into being a Huntsmen is the price I have to pay to live. As well as never getting to see my family even again…

"Young one…are you alright?" I nodded my head not wanting to deal with all of those thoughts. Ozpin clearly had an idea, and I was waiting to find out what he had for me.

"A friend and I can train you and hone your skills in the way of aura." My eyebrows rose over my head, and I couldn't believe my ears. _The_ Ozpin, the headmaster of Beacon Academy, the Wizard himself _wanted_ to teach me. I really wasn't sure, but at the least this semblance should be fun to use. I raised my hand and quietly let out a breath of irritation.

"Okay sure…whatever." Only a tiny hint of bitterness leaked through my voice. I noticed with some discomfort that I was wearing a hospital gown. No, not the time to worry about that stuff.

"So uh…what's going to happen to me now that I've said yes?" I asked him, feeling some amount of worry.

Stop with the creepy smile you perv…

The look on his face told me I hadn't said that in my head like I had thought.

"Uh just saying smiling all mysterious like that could be taken in the wrong way." Surprisingly he seemed to agree with me, with a small nod.

"Fair enough…now it will take some time to get the papers ready for you to leave." He stood up, and I tilted my head at the new information. I didn't understand what that meant, was he adopting me?

"I am not adopting you…if that is what you are thinking. But a close friend of mine is, and I've pulled a few strings to speed up the process. She will be your primary trainer and caretaker when I'm not around. She is a very skilled Huntress who can teach you a great deal." I nodded, and he coughed politely standing up to leave.

"It's time to take my leave young miss. You have a bright future ahead of you." Just as I started to relax as he stepped out I froze again as he re entered the room with an almost sheepish expression.

"Oh there's something else as well." He rifled through the white backpack I had come with, and pulled it several of what looked like a huge heavy case filled with…

Solid State Drives? I guess that's why they weighed like half of my own weight. How the _fuck_ did I run with something that big and not…never mind I tripped and was almost eaten alive.

He closed his mouth at my look and shook his head in disappointment. I suppose he realized I had no idea what was in those storage devices. There were a few books here as well, and I paled when I realized they were the alchemy books. He had another _frustrating_ smirk on his face

"Perhaps you can tell me what this is?" He waved the book around and I sulked, also realizing this was the house from before.

"You read it didn't you?" He nodded and I palmed my face in response. "Then it's _exactly_ what it says it is. But don't ask me how much I know since I _don't_ know. In fact I'm quiet bereft of any memory in the first place." His expression turned serious and he gave a once-over that made me fidget.

"It has something to do with the corpses doesn't it?" I flinched at his bluntness and I nodded, my own suspicions aside he must have looked around the house too before I woke up.

"Do…" I stopped my question, but he placed his hand on my shoulder and nodded.

"Do you know what happened to me? Why were those people all dead? Why can't I remember everything? Just please…" I was already lying to him, I already had a horrible… _horrible_ glance of what had happened…but it was still incomplete. But why did the man turn from a kind of gruff person into a _monster?_

"I…I'm sorry to say I have little idea myself of what has happened. I dabbled in alchemy a _very_ long time ago but…never to this extent. The only thing I can tell you is that an alchemical ritual did something to your soul." I grasped my chest and remembered that terrible gateway…shuddering all the way. I pointed to the book in question and he shook his head. "If you're asking if I can read it… I cannot as they seem to be in some kind of code as well as in a foreign language." I froze and thought back to the book. The book was in…

Russian! Oh my god how the fuck does that make any…and I can understand it too. I also just realized how perfect it is, back on Earth well over a hundred million people could speak it, but here it's unlikely anyone would. There were also some bits of Greek with some more complex arrays I had glanced at. So two languages that for whatever reason I could perfectly speak, read, and maybe write. I opened my mouth, and a quiet yawn made itself known.

Ozpin's expression softened and he seemed to remember himself, placing the electronic devices away, and storing away the strange books.

"Perhaps this should be for another time miss Rose…" I nodded as my tiredness set in, a medically induced sleep didn't count. "I will help you pack your possessions as well as…incite the proper rites for your family." I closed my eyes…and sighed in relief at his fading footsteps.

What a strange word I've found myself in. The strange knowledge of alchemy almost certainly didn't all come from me. Some of _their_ knowledge must have bled into mine, while the rest could be from years of study. My field back home would have had a fair amount of chemistry involved. I steadied my breath and tried to take a nap again, failing.

T-That was really something wasn't it? I looked around the room, and felt relief at the peace and quiet. It also gave me some time to start crying.

Don't judge me…I…

I just wonder just _who_ is going to be taking care of me?

W-What?

"Oh everything will be just fine Professor Ozpin, I know how important this must be for you. I will train and raise her to the best of my ability."

My eyebrows twitched as Ozpin listened to a blonde woman in her late 30s to early 40s. As to _why_ they were twitching? She looked almost exactly like Glynda Goodwitch, with a few minor differences here and there. The shade of her green eyes is darker than her daughter who was standing stiffly behind her. Her outfit was more modest in some way, no cape at least. She wore a bright golden blouse paired with black tights that _really_ fit her well. I turned to look at her daughter more closely curious to see if it was her. The girl looked a little awkward, and when she caught me staring gave me a small awkward wave.

She was kind of cute…but she was still too young for me to feel much of anything other than that. But I decided to wave back enthusiastically, keep up the illusion of being a _relatively_ normal child for a while longer. I had my doubts it would work for long, but pretending is fine with me.

Actually Glynda looked about 14 or so, so she had another three years to go to enter Beacon. I wonder if our Semblance's are similar enough so she can help me. Probably not but the idea sounds nice if I'm going to be living with her in the same house. I kind of hope this doesn't affect canon too much, as in anything during my first four years, I'm fine with changing everything after.

For a number of reasons…

"Um…hi." I jolted as Glynda suddenly appeared to my left. She had practically teleported in the three or four seconds I had glanced away. I felt my lips lurk up into a small smile at her shyness. It was really quite adorable in fact, my grin rising further. She seemed to flush as she looked at me, and my head tilted in question.

"You're adorable…" I puffed my chest at the obvious truth and lifted up my hand to shake hers. That doesn't make any sense for a ten year old to do but I want to do it anyway. Glynda took my head, and I fiercely shook up and down a steady three times. Her expression was rather funny, and my grin grew more sardonic.

"What…have you never seen a kid give someone a handshake?" I said that in a cutesy tone that was easy to pull off at this age. Glynda twitched and I knew I could have a _little_ fun with this. I could understand why my own brother would do that kind of shit. It's _really_ entertaining when the victim gets annoyed, all the little quirks they display while angered.

"Ahem…" But now wasn't the best time for this. I turned to face my adoptive parent, who had a slightly strict look. She didn't say anything about what I was doing, but I noticed the subtle smirk on her face. You know I'm noticing a lot more of people's little expressions they make subconsciously. That's surely a good thing, I've never been the best at that kind of junk and I need all the help I can get.

"H-Hi…" but that didn't mean I didn't feel nervous when Glynda's mom actually paid attention to me. I interlaced my fingers as she walked even closer, her sizable stature now far more noticeable. Her stern look vanished and shifted into an uncomfortably loving one. She leaned down to face me with a light smile, and I smiled back, unsure of what to think.

"So I'm going to be the one to adopt you, is that okay?" I nodded strongly, thinking I could trust her. I mean Glynda Goodwitch is alive in canon isn't she? Regardless we're talking about a well trained Huntsmen who's survived years against an endless horde of bloodthirsty monsters. If she can do that, she can certainly keep a kid safe and healthy. She offered her hand to me with a wider smile, and I took it with relatively little hesitation. I didn't have anywhere else to go anymore…

"My name is Gilda Goodwitch."


	2. Early Days Arc: Chapter 2

**Author's Note:**

Here's chapter two. It's a bit shorter than the last one... but I feel its long enough.

So uh again I don't own RWBY and please follow and review.

 **Chapter Two: Mini Goddard**

It had been close to 3 weeks since I had arrived in this world and been found by Ozpin and adopted by Miss Senior Goodwitch. During that time I had been working with controlling my aura through the use of special fulgurite containers filled with a mix of spent Dust and sand. I would focus my aura into it to activate the Dust in a display of light. Gilda would vary the purity of the mix so I could learn better control over my aura. Especially since I was apparently gifted with a _prodigious_ amount of aura. I hadn't had much time to work on what Ozpin called a part of my "semblance." I was studying my basic alchemy book extensively, and whenever Ozpin showed up practiced it, away from prying eyes. But I had figured out what my actual semblance was. It seemed to work similarly to Fate style Structural Grasp magecraft.

I can essentially learn the structural composition and design of object by prolonged touch or concentration. I could also analyze that composition and learn how to increase its effectiveness which is badass as hell really. And in fact is the largest _boon_ I've gotten so far, my Semblance was _literally_ made for using Alchemy. I've also tested it out on a number of different objects including a water hose, which apparently works the same way as on earth. It's got a pintle injector and everything…well sprayer. I can also use the whole Reinforcement part of it, though in most cases it's just the usual aura enhancing of materials, with the exception of enhancing my senses.

Seeing from 4 km is pretty far out… and the way the semblance functions is fascinating. It works like a more _magical_ ultrasonic flaw detector, a pulse of aura passing through whatever I'm analyzing. The entire blueprint seemingly downloaded into my mind, every little part that makes up the greater whole. Every flaw, every tiny imperfection became known to me. If someone had made it, I could even sense the history and memory of the creater or wielder. It would only work for most objects, but it wouldn't be anything more than sensing the residue of emotions, the love, and hard work put in a device or item.

A semblance that could help someone understand everything…I wonder what that says about me…

Anyway…

I've also figured out what all those drives are, surprisingly Remnant electronics are pretty similar to our own. Just about a decade ahead of what we have now, electronically at least. But still on the _very_ cutting edge of technology, storing like 300 Terabytes per each 160 gram drive.

Which is just a…ridiculous amount of storage, and there are a lot of them. I'm 90% sure they used the same magic(alchemy…heh) Taiyang used to ship a _dog_ in the mail along with the dog food…

Stop going on a tangent, I haven't opened any of them yet but I feel like I should. I just need a screen to use them, since these are actual hard drive and not just USBS. I also need a supply of Dust to power the drives…and I _think_ Oz is working on it? I also found out my _carbyne_ wall was more a mix of different allotropes that made it into armor. Otherwise the Grimm probably would have slashed through and mauled me.

I opened my eyes, no longer able to relax in my new room. Turns out Goodwitch grew up in Patch. The house we were in was pretty big, it could easily fit twice the number of people it does, though my room was pretty bland, having a white wall and a soft carpeted floor. I was currently wearing a black sweatshirt with gym shorts, since they were quite comfy.

I was being home schooled mostly because we were nearing the end of the semester and it was a little late. But I was eventually going to go once the year starts in November. That was going to go…just _great._

Much of my time that wasn't spent getting my fitness and aura control up, or my free time which was usually spent _scrolling_ through a scroll, was used to cram in some History lessons. For obvious reasons my knowledge of Remnant history was minimal. Though most of my difficulties in adapting didn't have to do with education or fitness but with more…social issues.

It was hard for me to mingle with the few kids I had met with the gulf in maturity, as well as their differing beliefs and norms. The only one I could really relate to was Glynda since we were far closer in mental age. She was…interesting to talk to. Glynda was almost certainly trying _way_ too hard, the awkwardness practically _rolled_ off of her. She kept trying to be the cool…fun older sister but it didn't click with her actual personality.

She was still doing it too….I was a little too shy to tell her to stop it. Her grins were so stiff and unnatural that I honestly thought she was going to shiv me in her sleep.

And here she comes now…

" _Heeyy_ little sis…" I winced at the fake tone she was using, and prayed for the both of us. She was wearing a white blouse with black shorts, and I had enough. I couldn't god damn take it anymore! Weeks of getting interrupted and feeling awkward! I fucking _hate_ that icky feeling, it makes my hands clammy, I bite my lips more! It just makes everything f-feel worse, makes me think about…a-about…

"S-Summer…?" I sagged as Glynda's expression changed, just feeling exhausted, and alone. She placed her hands on my shoulders as I felt tears well up again. I-I missed…

"H-Hey do you want to just talk?" I turned away from her but her hands held me in place. She gave me a grave look, and my lips quivered as my emotions… _HEY!_

I rubbed the spot on my forehead where she had flicked me with her right index finger. I glared at her, feeling a flicker of _something_ at her worried look. She tapped her feet as she waited for me to speak.

"Okay sure why not?" I decided to just go with the flow. There was nothing I could do now to fix what had happened to me. I started to follow Glynda's gaze as she looked at a book I had been using for drawing, just something to distract. I was grateful that my skills had been transferred with my soul. She glanced at as if asking for permission and I nodded my permission. Her face softened as she paged through dozens of drawings and scribbles. Some of which had been arrays I was practicing with. She stopped at one drawing, and I drew closer since she wanted to ask me something. She pointed to a single simplified drawing of a gas-generator rocket and a staged combustion rocket that I remembered next to an Earth control array.

"They're just some diagrams…that's all." I felt like this was a bad idea, but I just _needed_ someone to talk to about this kind of stuff. I wasn't really aiming for being an engineer, more something in the biological field. But that didn't mean I didn't find aerospace engineering…no engineering in general fascinating. I pretty much read whatever I could on any subject, though my expertise would only really be surface level. I knew some of the basics of how batteries work, a few of the components here and there of rockets and electric motors.

Like switched reluctance motors, aluminum or copper rotor induction motors…DC brushed motors etc. I had started memorizing some of the rough formulations of nitroglycerin and guncotton. How the properties of nanomaterials are nearly _impossible_ to maintain at macromolecular levels. In fact my knowledge in all of that expanded massively…having read through the entirety of a Chemistry 101 textbook as well a Biology textbook, and an Engineering textbook. Every single one of them written in Russian. A nice refresher…and it made the headaches go away too…

"Hello…" I snapped out of my internal rant and decided to explain a bit about the drawings.

"Sorry…um those are designs for rockets." Glynda's eyes twinkled with curiosity and possibly even excitement. I could also see a wince though for reasons I already knew. Dust ceased to work outside of atmosphere for whatever god awful reason, maybe even literally if those god-brothers are still around.

"They're really cool…but Dust doesn't—.

"Work outside of atmosphere I know. Do these rockets look like they use Dust!" Oh crap Glynda is giving me a weird look…I messed up! But she only looks like she had more questions? She pointed to the drawings again.

"Um…you could use a different fuel for the engines…" She nodded along, a spark shining in her eyes. "It could use liquid oxygen with some form of hydrocarbon like methane or kerosene that you then combust and throw behind your rocket. But to throw your fuel and oxidizer at a high enough speed you need a Turbopump, like the pump on a centrifugal water pump." Her attention was now completely on me, and I felt sweat fall down. Thank god they still had water pumps…

"The turbine sucks in fuel and throws it to the side using centrifugal force."

"Centripetal…" I rolled my eyes at her nitpicky nature, not that she was wrong remembering that Centrifugal force isn't an actual real force.

"Right…so after that it's pushed through multiple slits and then collected by an outside tube that sends it the reaction chamber." I circled the chamber with red crayon for emphasis. "To power that turbine another smaller rocket engine…which can be powered a number of different ways. Though one way would be to use some of the fuel from the normal rocket."

I flushed as Glynda grabbed my cheeks with stars practically in her eyes. I grinned awkwardly as her face split into a wide smile of affection and awe.

"You're so…smart! I didn't expect it, but that's my fault for being so strange." I shrugged and she continued to babble an apology. Young Glynda was a surprisingly nervous little fella at this age. I knew looks were deceiving though, I had seen glimpses of _her_ training and it was pretty frightening. Seeing a 14 year old lift a small truck with her goddamn mind is just amazing. I froze as the door creaked open, and I was forced to face a flabbergasted Gilda.

"Hello miss…" She schooled her expression and took a deep breath to calm her nerves I'm guessing. She lifted up her hand and I passed my notebook with some hesitance. She page through the book much like her daughter previously did. There was an unreadable expression on her face, while she looked through it. I wondered if I had done something wrong.

"This is…it's amazing." I rolled my eyes, I might know the very basics of this but I'm no rocket scientist. People from NASA, SpaceX, Blue Origin have forgotten more than I've ever learned in my entire life. It did make me wonder how those experiments with Dust rockets worked out. Did they use Fire Dust in some kind of single staged solid-fuel rocket? I wonder if they ever tried just injecting aura in to them? I need to pay attention…stop getting stuck in your own head.

"Meh…" I shrugged, and my guardian started eyeing the carefully stored set of drives with a hint of ambition.

"Still…this is surprisingly simple."

I wouldn't say that, it takes a massive amount of infrastructure and money available only to the largest and richest Kingdoms like Atlas and Vale. And in our case it's only been in the last ten(20?) years back back home that more advanced and less expensive rockets have started being developed. You have the LOX-RP-1 burning gas-generator Merlin with one of the highest thrust to weight ratio rocket engines ever. It's successor in the full flow staged combustion LCH4/LOX engines. You have Blue Origins BE-3 and BE-4 going on, and you have the…SLS.

"What's with that sour look on your face?" Glynda sounded confused and I didn't answer. 20 billion dollars of taxpayer money for a rocket that may or not ever launch more than a few times. SpaceX and Blue Origin have a better chance of having their rocket be used more than twice a year, and that's sad. All that money and time on a rocket that could be used on either designing a new rocket, or on greater amounts of rover and probe missions throughout the solar system.

"Well at least you're being more open…but perhaps we should find out what is in those drives? A little girl couldn't have learned all of they information on their own." She looked worried and retrieved a Scroll, though it didn't looked as advanced as RWBY's models, which made sense this was nearly 30 years before then. Gilda looked a little sheepish and my eyebrows rose up, waiting for her to reply. She sighed with exasperation, and pointed to a _certain_ wizards number:

"We have to call Ozpin."

In only a week Ozpin had managed to set up an entire server rack using the mysterious drives, plus an untold number of others from the old house He also added a Lightning Dust based power source to turn them on, and acquired a single screen to view whatever was on it. Gilda was currently teaching a class back at Signal and I was left alone with the old man. I even got to eat a good meal with some scrambled eggs and ham I had cooked. My basic cooking skills were something I had kept thank god, since Gilda was _shit_ at cooking. But anything I couldn't cook Glynda did, and it was actually pretty good too. I mean really _how_ the hell do you set a stove on fire when's it underwater?

I hesitantly grabbed the computer like screen and felt a little tingle as I activated my semblance. The screen was actually a fairly conventional LCD screen of all things, though I could sense the various Dust types interlaid through its metal.

"Young lady…you should know it's fine to act like yourself." I felt a twitch coming on at the knowing look on his smug face. I shook my head, getting sick of his all knowing act.

"Could you stop that you stupid w—wize guy!" He raised an eyebrows and I pitched the bridge of my nose, counting under my breath. There's no need to get angry at the _annoying_ wizard. I awkwardly turned over to the computer and it made me wonder something…

"Where the hell did they get these computers in the middle of nowhere?"

"Perhaps they made them? They were alchemists, and very skilled ones at that." I frowned at the idea. I'm not sure that kind of stuff was actually possible, but then again this Alchemy doesn't really follow the exact same rules as FMA. This brand of alchemy is likely unique to this world, as well as whatever interconnected multiverse may exist. Heck in another more advanced book I swore I saw something about nuclear fusion and fission. It's also a little more flexible in the kind of symbols you can use. The only reason everything is so esoteric is to hide what the circles and arrays do.

The general purpose arrays are more interesting however, and my _very_ comfortable gloves are a variant of such, but only much, _much_ more advanced. Named the Universal Zero…something array, I swore I had seen it somewhere at least twice before. Somehow I could understand it's meaning well enough to use for almost anything…theoretically I mean. I've been limited to deconstruction and reconstruction for now. Though I did manage to make an explosion by creating various nitrogen compounds(nitroglycerin) from the air and then increasing the oxygen content. Also that time with the backyard pool…

It's pretty cool to see the equivalent of several tons of TNT explode in a fiery blast of death. Gilda was _pissed_ though and I stored the gloves away of my own accord. I shouldn't have done something so incredibly stupid. Disassembling water into its basic components is _not_ the best plan. I still wondered about how the hell Dust works, though I have some theories I want to check up on. I just need to do some experiments, have to figure out a procedure of some sort.

"Excuse me?" I flushed and turned to turn on the computer screen. I wasn't sure how well it would work but whatever. The screen slowly turned on, and I tilted my head at the resemblance to macOS. It was something intimately…familiar, and for a moment I could pretend that I was home. Instead of being killed, my soul dragged into another universe, and having certain… _parts_ instead.

The server easily contained millions, maybe even tens of millions of files, most of them were also in Russian. A lot of them were basically just entire Encyclopedias about…Earth. Whatever they did to bring me here, they must have brought knowledge from my home too. It's almost entirely text and what looked like code? I think they downloaded the entire of GitHub, as well as a few other things too. It's unlikely I'll ever get or understand the entirety of this database. Ozpin looked fascinated, and it _was_ honestly quite impressive. If it wasn't obtained through hurting or killing people, it would be a true marvel.

"Just realized you won't be able to read this…" Ozpin sounded disappointed, and I clicked through a number of files, until I stopped at one…an archived site about a 250 pound thrust kerosene LOX rocket, and someone who had designed a pintle injector. I tilted my head as I got a crazy idea, I wonder if I could build those rockets…myself. I could hold my aura up a lot more easily and a lot longer than before. If normal squishy humans could build rockets without blowing themselves up, then an aura user can surely do better. Ozpin gave me a dubious look…and I decided to use my ultimate weapon.

I gave him the saddest most pathetic look I could ever give him…I could see the sweat slowly pour down his face, as I made my lips wobble. Hey if you've been gifted with cuteness, you better well use it. He glanced away, and I knew I had achieved victory.

"I don't believe Gilda will have an issue with some experimenting…but she's going to be away on a mission, and I have my school to take care of."

I grinned as I already had a solution for that. Someone who I had been ignoring for a very long amount of time.

"Are you sure this is a good idea?" I nodded my head as an anxious Glynda followed my careful reading of what would be my new hobby. I had carefully and lovingly converted a book about how to design, build, and test small liquid fuel rockets into paper text. That's basically the little of the book, and I _think_ dates back to the 60s. I was going with the 250 lb thrust engine from that website , but learning the various equations used for rocketry was important. And as to how we were building a potential cloud cutting rocket.

Gilda might be a terrible cook, buts she's a bit of an engineering freak. I hadn't bothered going in before, but there's a huge machine shop behind the house…full of _dozens_ of machines.

Seriously Glynda's mom must be really bringing in the dough to have all of this stuff. I could see that they did have things like electric motors, and _maybe_ hydraulics. I had over the next one to two days, spent as much time as possible to get the parts needed, as well as figure out how to use the machinery here. For the first rocket it was Glynda who was machining them out, since she had experience with them. This rocket needs a pretty wide range of tools to built it, things like arc welders, torches, various other kinds of machinery such as a lathe.

Which this place is full of, to my great enjoyment. But their torches use fire Dust instead of oxygen mixed with a gas, and they power the arc welders with Dust too. All the machines are dust enhanced as well…making them much stronger and longer lasting than normal materials, rather than the cheaper and weaker Dust smelted materials.

As to what that means…well for much of Remnant's history humanity used Burn dust to smelt ore down into various metals. While it was as if not more effective than coal or natural gas, the materials were weak in comparison to what they had now. Only aura would keep weapons forged with them, from shattering apart. However doing so cost extra aura to reinforce them, and made their homes too fragile to protect them from the Grimm _or_ Huntsmen.

Until a brilliant faunus who's name has been nearly forgotten discovered Dust Alloying. The name isn't entirely accurate of course, but it's close enough in layman's terms. First they would melt the metal in the usual method and add _tiny_ amounts of active Earth dust. The metal would become massively enhanced in several ways. One the metal's shape would become nearly atomically perfect, similar to monocrystalline whiskers, and that would include all the materials within the metal. So for example carbon steel would become a mix of various carbon allotropes and pure iron, similar to Covetic materials back on Earth. Early versions weren't much stronger than carbon fiber, but aura took care of that anyway.

The second addition was that they had the same effect as Aura has on materials, though not quite as strong. From what I can tell Aura isn't really a force field, otherwise we wouldn't be able to feel pain. And _trust_ me I would know…

Aura functions more like a structural integrity field, our light reacting to an attack, and in the first split second holding onto our molecules. It would keep the intense forces we were exposed to, from ripping us into tiny splashes of red on the ground. That feature would be more than useful for building a liquid fueled rocket.

"So uh…how it's going?" I asked Glynda curiously as she input the the program into the somewhat crude CNC lathe. We could have made them with the manual ones, and at some point we will but…I wanted to make a couple.

We had also previously worked on the test stand using various leftovers from Gilda's own stuff. It had some Ice Dust based fire extinguishers and everything! I turned back to Glynda as she hummed contemplatively.

"Pretty well actually." She was now inputting what was needed for the injector and we waited. I gave her a pleading look…and she sighed.

Over the next few hours we worked on getting all the parts in. All the while Glynda was teaching me how to use the various machines, which was… _nice._ In the end we ended up making _several_ combustion chambers and injector plates. Everything else wouldn't come in for a couple more days. I touched every chamber to check the structural integrity and nodded in satisfaction.

"Everything seems…undamaged here." The future witch opened her mouth to reply until a loud growl interrupted us. I grabbed my needy stomach, flushing as my embarrassment _skyrocketed_. Glynda grinned with a dab of amusement, and we left the shop, washing our hands and various other implements.

Within about 30 minutes Glynda had set up a nice soup, a mix of carrots, boiled potatoes, rice, and chicken. I sat on the large wooden chair, my legs nervously moving back and forth. I had watched curiously as she cooked it up, and slowly started to memorize the recipe in my head. I had the idea of trying to cook using an alchemical circle. It actually did seem to be possible but I would have to write some instructions to keep it right. Glynda frowned and swatted me with a spoon, I heard and felt the painful click of metal on my forehead.

 _OWW._

"Don't do that!" I snarled as my temper got the better of me. Glynda had a smug expression on her face, and I blew the hair out of my face.

I was still having a hard time with the long hair, I was used to my hair never ever reaching past my eyebrows. Glynda chuckled and gestured for me to come closer, I tentatively obliged, and she pulled out a hair clip. I decided to be polite and remained still as she grabbed my hair forming it into a ponytail.

"Better?" I nodded and grabbed a spoon, quirking a brow. She giggled and grabbed her own spoon, digging in to her food.

Her cooking is _great_ as always, it's too bad she'll only be around for another two years. I thought she was 14, but she's actually 15 years old now meaning the time we have will be a little limited. I'm 11 year old, and we had found that out through finding an journal with my birth date.

October 17th, same as my birthday from _Before_. Both had tried to set up a birthdate once they found out, but I denied their efforts not feeling in the mood. They were… _okay_ with it but I could tell they still wanted to help.

"Hmm…" I ate comfortablely, the soup warming my belly. I couldn't help but love Glynda's cooking and I was thinking of asking her how. I could already make a few things here and there but…well I think it would be nice.

"Umm…" I frowned at the serious expression on her face, and steepled my hands waiting for her to respond. She mulled it over in her head, until her look became determined. "You know…school is going to be starting pretty soon for you."

 _Oh_ right…that's going to be a thing. I sweat a bit at her guilt filled expression and I reassured her with some jazz hands. I have no idea why I think that would help but…well it doesn't matter too much.

"Um it's fine I'm okay." She looked relieved and I gave her a small smile as reassurance. I had been thinking about that for a while…school should be starting back up in November 6th I think? It's a pretty odd date to start school, but that's just how it is. That was about a week away, more than enough time to finish what we were doing here. The rocket engine should be done once we set everything up in three days. We'll do some tests since they've already gotten all my school supplies.

Wonder if this will become the basis of rocket lockers…using Dust of course, cryogenic liquids isn't the most reliable propellant for a flying locker. I huffed and turned back to face my…sister(?), caretaker?

Friend…I'll go with friend.

"So you're going to be alright going to a public school? I mean you really don't need it, with how advanced you are in your education but…" I nodded my head, I still need to get my History up, and _eventually_ get my math beyond high school algebra. I remember taking English 114, and Algebra 60, as well as Political Science I believe?

I feel like I should look for some electives on Aerodynamics once I'm in middle school, but some further research has told me they're actually a little bit behind us on that curve. Not by much really, and it's only in the narrow field of supersonic and hypersonic craft. I wonder if I can take a more advanced course especially with how boring class will be, since I had to sit down to take an aptitude test yesterday and ended up getting excused from most of the classes I no longer need.

"If you're sure." I would have nodded again, but I was eating my food and nothing would get in my way. It too me another three minutes to finish off my soup, sipping the broth with it. I placed it down on the table once I was done.

Before I could say anything she grabbed my plate, diligently washing it in the sink. I curled my hands feeling like maybe I needed to help, but didn't say anything. Glynda was humming and I sensed that she was happy in some way. She turned her neck the slightest so she could catch my furious eye. Her neutral expression had shifted into a kind grin, and I fidgeted. I smiled anyway though, no reason not to.

"Thanks…" She tilted her head in confusion and my lips pulled up into a full on grin. "For…indulging me and just well…acting _normal."_

"You're welcome…"

I guess we should get back to teaching me then Miss Goodwitch. But first I want you to teach me…how to wash plates. Even if it's not necessary well…

Never mind…now let's get to it!

I giggled in excitement as we dug a small hole and flattened it, placing the concrete shield deflector in the right spot. Glynda also placed the test stand in the correct spot, practicing her Telekinesis. The test stand was quite large, and I placed my hands on my hips in pride at our achievement. Now the outside test stand was actually for later vertical testing, we were currently in the horizontal test phase. This would be for later use… _moving_ on. We walked away, but not before placing a tent to protect them from the elements.

We turned our attention to a shed that contained the _other_ test stand. There the engine was sitting attached to the load cell, with a blast shield there to protect us from shrapnel. It had taken us all day two days ago to set up the piping, test the electronics, yada yada yada…then we did a cold flow test, and then checked to see if there was any damage.

Now it was the next day…and it was ready for the hot fire test. Hopefully we won't get a hard start, don't want any unplanned disassembly going on here. I hid behind a computer, and my blonde friend pressed the button to begin. A loud rumbling roar began as the fuel and oxidizer mixed and were then lit by the igniter. A spark torch igniter in fact…

The air continued to vibrate, and I waited for something to go wrong…but after 15 seconds of noise and light, the test was successfully stopped. I grinned as I realized I had just built a rocket in a week. Glynda was grinning too, and I felt oddly happy.

I ended up pulling her into a hug… she stiffened but wrapped her arms around me after a few moments. My grin weakened since I knew we weren't done yet. While the engines weren't powered by Dust, everything else was. I needed an alternate power source, maybe a lithium ion battery for the electronics? I mean they've got capacitors, even if not quiet as good as batteries. Well they still get 100wh/kg so it's not half bad. But really the best…and probably quickest way would be to figure out a way to make Dust function outside of the atmosphere. But never mind all that, let's talk to Goodwitch.

"Heh thanks big sis!" Her eyes sparkled with happiness and even if I didn't quite consider herself that yet. I'm sure it wouldn't take long for me to really feel that way. She was really a good person…even without knowing what she would one day become, I could just _feel_ it. I'm not some complete optimist, but I do like to think that humanity can do a little better.

"You're welcome…I was glad to help." She murmured gently and I felt a yawn come on. I didn't have the same endurance to stay awake like I used to as a child. I let out a yelp, as she picked me up dragging me to my room. I went limp, knowing there was nothing I could do to save myself.

I was doomed…

I was left alone in my room, and given a plain pair of pajamas. Luckily both my adoptive relatives understood that I wasn't into girly cute wear. So I got a simple blue pajama sweater with black pants. My socks were plain black too…

Now how was I going to do this? I lifted up my dirty shirt leaving it in a laundry pile for later cleaning. I didn't wear any undertop, but with how much the universe hates me I doubt it will last for long. I put it on, and then put on my pants after again changing.

"Stupid…reincarnation…dumb death…" I grumbled as I climbed into my cozy bed, snuggling into the warm furry wolf pelt style blanket. I was still a little shell shocked after all, and it was difficult to adjust to a body that so _different_ from what I used to have.

Hopefully…everything would get better from here on out.


	3. Early Days Arc: Chapter 3

**Author's Note:**

Here's chapter three, now ready after a week. Uh I don't have much to say other than to please review and enjoy. I don't own RWBY.

 **Chapter Three: First Day at Patch Elementary**

God damn it do I really need to wear this shit!? For my first day outfit those little twerps had forced me to wear a skirt to see "how I liked it." It was a long(thank god) grey skirt paired with a black blouse with white outlines. I was also allowed to wear a white cloak I had with some difficulty made for myself for this. It was actually store bought in black, but I practiced my alchemy and after a few failed attempts, turned it white and made it tougher and more durable.

I kept the gloves, so I ended up being a mix of red, white, grey, and black. The school I had joined was a school known for having a high ratio of aura users per person. For classes I was taking History, a Marksmanship class, and Polearm Technique. Things like Aura Awareness and Weapon Smithing were getting taken care of by Gilda when she had the time, and Glynda would help me out too. They would also practice with my two Hunters electives at home.

For my courses I was taking I didn't have to bring in too many academic supplies, since I only had my History class to worry about. For everything else I ended up getting online college courses they apparently had. So I was learning early college level Math, and Chemistry through the alchemy books as well as my semblance. In the case of Chemistry I should figure it out in around a year or so, since quite a bit of acquired knowledge is leaking through. Math would take longer maybe two or three years. Where I would really need to be catching up was in various combat related courses. I didn't have more than a hint of training in this body. I was physically healthy…but well, it wasn't that much better than my old one.

As to how that would work…well it would be a _lot_ of work to balance so many subjects but then again… I was already used to the relative _vigor_ of college before so it wouldn't take long for me to adapt to an easier pace. But it's not like I had any friends to spend time with _anyway._ But that's besides the point, now I'll just sit here until class starts. Okay let me check the time on this mechanical watch…

 _7:46 AM_

I still have about 24 minutes until class starts then…hmm is there someone talking? I glanced in the direction of the voice, and quirked an eyebrow as some boys of undiscript appearance urged on some blonde kid. The gaggle froze at my sight and I rolled my eyes at their antics. I decided to draw some alchemy circles to practice starting with the basics.

Okay…circle, add the triangle/any polygon with the vertices touching the circle…

Circle again, this time the shape reaches outside the circle.

Again…this time the triangle goes past one circle but stops at another…

"Hey…" I felt a twitch come on as a kid, a boy from the sound of it talked to me. I turned around to face him, my irritation likely showing on my face based on his expression. It was the blonde kid again and he seemed _awfully_ familiar almost like I had met him before.

"What do you want?" He flinched and I felt that maybe I was being a little too harsh. Whoever the kid was he didn't have the same look in his eyes as his "friends" did, I felt like they were leering at me. I took a closer look at the kid as he stumbled on my question.

He was around the same height as me, about 5 foot two inches or 1.57 meters for metric users. He had messy blonde hair as I had previously mentioned but also a pair of kind and gentle blue, almost lilac eyes. The kid was wearing some brown cargo shorts with a tan dress shirt. Other than that he was almost plain, even then he seemed _memorable._

"Um… what are you drawing?" The other kids groaned and started to leave and I moved my butt over giving him room to see. Since he wasn't being a total dick I _suppose_ he could be friends with little old me. He sat down, glancing at me as if to ask permission. I nodded and he sat sat down _rather_ close, he scooted over quickly though. So I doubt he meant anything by it.

"Just a hobby…from a book _supposedly_ about Alchemy." His eyes lit up, and his grin widened as I talked to him. "It's fun a fun thing to think about, to learn about those symbols, to just make just _stuff_ I guess. Kind of of hard for me to describe."

He nodded and pointed to the circles I had just drawn. "Uh what do they mean? Like how are they supposed to work?"

Well…someone's interested in the mystic science of Alchemy. My grin had widened some more at the interest he was displaying. I might not _need_ people as much as others, but having at least one other person to talk to was nice.

"Well this is just about the construction of a transmutation circle…the way the circle is drawn changes the effect…outcome I suppose." He let out an affirmative "huh." and I smiled as I continued. "The circle is the first step, it represents the balance of power and the steady flow of power. When you add a shape that touches the circle it means the reaction takes place within the array and kept stable."

"Wow whoever made this book you're talking about. They're _really_ committed." He paused and pointed to another drawing.

"Oh the extending shape is when the reaction will be taking place _outside_ the array, like to build a wall. And when the polygon extends past one circle but stops at another, the transmutation will extend to the next object."

I tilted my head to look at him in the eye and was taken back by his enthusiasm. He grinned showing off his straight well cleaned teeth, he looked rather happy to talk to me.

"My names Taiyang Xiao Long…But you can call me Tai." He lifted his hand as to shake my hand, though I think he was only trying to greet me. _And_ oh dammit I already met one of the members of team STRQ after being here for only a few weeks(well technically 11 years but still…)

But…he seems nice.

"My name is Summer."

Our nice chat ended up taking the entirety of the 20 something minutes we had left, but good for me that Taiyang knew where my first class was. Now what was it? Not History that's third period, is it…? Oh right it was the Marksmanship class. I was trailing him since he ultimately knew the way, and I heard _very_ quiet whispers from my classmates. Apparently Gilda was a well known Huntress around these parts, so her adopting someone was a bit of a big deal.

Hopefully it wouldn't be too much of a problem or else it was going to get _really_ annoying. I curled my hands in a little bit of worry as we approached the door of the room. Tai courteously opened the door for me and I quirked my eyebrow at him. He ushered me in with an innocent look, and sighed. I think he was just being a nice guy then. Ultimately I had no issues with that so I hesitantly walked in with him at my back.

I froze as 24 heads jolted up, and my nose started twitching as about a sixth of them had an extra _appendage_ that swiveled in my direction as their owners faced me. Now that didn't account for other students who had other extra things added on, whether a tail or odd skin markings. I found an almost empty table, with only a bunny faunus on the left seat of the three person table. I ended up trapped between her and Taiyang.

The teacher was a _really_ old guy, he looked kind of like what a stereotypical Viking was considered to look like. He was gigantic too, probably Yatsuhashi sized or bigger even. He was definitely heavier by a wide margin… His hair was a wild red, and there was a small glint in his electric blue eyes I couldn't really identify. The beefy man coughed and the children all turned to face him. I glanced at the girl who quivered at my look.

Way to get rid of certain stereotypes kiddo…Anyway the girl was a _tiny_ thing, maybe about 4'7 and really lanky. Her face was round shaped, and she had lips that were pursed into worry. Her eyes were almond shaped with light blue eyes and long eyelashes. Her hair was a dark brown, and she was fidgeting just the slightest. There was something about the way she looked that felt oddly familiar…

Maybe I should talk to her? I think I might be scaring her, and I don't want her to worry over nothing. I reached for her slightly to reassure her until…a _pulse_ of aura left my fingertips.

"65% Oxygen, 20% Carbon…" I covered my mouth as a spiel of elements poured from my mouth. Thankfully it had gone unnoticed by everyone other than the bunny girl and Taiyang and I doubt either would say anything. The moment I had gotten within half a foot, my aura had latched on to the girl. It didn't do anything other…than tell me the entire makeup of her body, the healed crack on her left uppermost rib, that her left ear had been broken about six months ago, and a flicker of _vague_ emotion.

I flushed at the suspicious look she was giving me. I hadn't meant to do that! I didn't even know I _could_ do that so easily. I have no idea why I hadn't wondered just _what_ my semblance really is then…some form of Aura manipulation semblance maybe. But it seemed able to pick up some…only some of the trace emotions left behind, so it could be a mind semblance?

Wait focus! The teacher just started talking!

"Ahem students! Welcome to Marksmanship class!" His deep voice boomed, almost shaking the room with its power. The other students faced the…possible retired Huntsmen with curiosity. "Here is where you will all be learning about the intricacies of using a gun…as well as how to use strategy and tactics during a fight." The students all nodded following along with surprising eagerness.

"Now I believe…"

I almost…but thankfully not quite glazed over his introduction, which was mainly introducing himself as Borr Svell. He was a recently retired Huntsmen after tangling with a powerful ancient Grimm finally pushed him past the edge. While he wasn't going to die any soon, he was no longer in the condition to hunt much Grimm anymore.

In the end the class was at least for the first day rather simple…just learning the basics of well… _using_ a gun. You know just learning the right stance, not to put the barrel to someone's face like a brain dead idiot, maintenance of a weapon that sort of thing. He also asked what _type_ of gun we would like to learn to use. Since a great percentage of people who took these classes became either Huntsmen, militia or in the rarer cases military, it was good to know what we wanted to specialize in. We tested it out with Pistols first…but they felt too…small, nothing about it felt right. Besides the fact that Pistols are usually kind of shit against Grimm, and have a rather short range. If I'm going to fight Grimm it's going to be from a mile away if I can.

Instead I was holding a .22 caliber rifle equivalent and placing the butt of the gun against my shoulder. I was in what he called the prone position and was staring through the scope of the basal gun. Which was honestly kind of easy to use, at least for keeping it steady. Now we weren't actually shooting, only learning/practicing the various positions, after a _long_ talk about everything else. Heck this thing wasn't even an actual gun…it was built to feel and look like one, but…

Well Structural Analysis kind of tells me the truth just by touching the "gun". Honestly Dust weapons are quite interesting in how similar they really are to modern firearms if you ignore the elemental effects. They propel a metal bullet through a powerful explosion, usually Fire or sometimes Wind Dust at over the speed of sound. The bullets are _usually_ made of lead, thought there are special rounds almost entirely made of Dust, something like an explosive round perhaps…

The propellant itself was triggered through a _tiny_ amount of high purity electric Dust. Basically it's what they have as a primer in this world, very interesting but I wonder if I could cut out the middle man.

I put the rifle down as the teacher coughed twice and passed it another student behind me. Yeah for me the rifle was what felt right, and I think it was what I going to for for when…

"Hey! You have History next right? Can you see if we have the same teacher next period?" A brief glance at my schedule sheet told me that I did _not_ have a History class next period. I shook my head and his face sank into an innocent puppy like look. I glanced away, scratching the back of my neck as I felt my cheeks turn red.

"S-Sorry But my next class is Polearm technique." He looked mildly dejected and I scrambled to fix my mistake. "But we could talk uhh later…if you want." He flashed me a bright grin, and I felt another rush of heat reach my ears. This kid(even if I am a kid) was going to be the death of me.

"Okay! We could hang out after school, I'm taking an Open Handed course, maybe we can share some tips?" I nodded and he looked even happier. At the least I was making some new friends. The bell rung and out teacher dismissed us, though he told me to wait for a moment.

"Uh why?" I asked the tall teacher with a smidge of confusion. The former Huntsmen gave a small smile and I took another step forward.

"You're new here aren't you? And I overheard that you're next class is Polearm Technique."

"Uh yeah?" I had an idea of why he was asking me but I wanted him to tell me just to be sure.

"Well I'm the teacher for that class!" Borr(seriously) sounded proud of himself and I had to give him _some_ props. He had to know his stuff or else humanity was in a much more precarious position than I once thought. He gestured with his meaty hands to follow and I did with some misgivings. We left the practice range and I could just make out, another building that looked vaguely like a gym of some sort. I could hear some more some excited chattering and pursed my lips. I wasn't sure how the children here would act, whether or not they would be nice or not.

I didn't necessarily want to make many friends, but I think I would have a better time if they weren't a bunch of dicks. Or else it would be a _long_ couple of years.

Someone would probably ask why I decided to get a Polearm class rather than anything else. Well the main reason for me was that polearms near the beginning are much easier to learn than other weapons like swords, and have a greater amount of reach too. I have no idea how well this would work against Huntsmen. But I _would_ like to keep a Grimm from ripping my face off thank you very much. It would also be a fairly simple modification to a gun, just add two same shaped blades above and below the barrel and telescope the butt to form the pole. This place must really be getting to me if I'm saying that making a gun spear is simple.

There was a third reason though…but it felt hard to describe. But a _feeling_ inside of me, within my soul you could say. Compelled me to such weapons, and it was only exacerbated the one time I made a metallic pole using the earth alchemy array. When I held it in my hand, it just seemed natural like something I always had. My hands even shifted into the correct position. Almost like I had used a Polearm my entire life.

Gilda had explained it to me once when I rushed to her overwhelmed and confused. She said it had to do with aura. Aura, the soul offered so much potential and power, but it did have its…little quirks here and there. She said that the soul, that aura had some sentience of its own, and certain methods, certain weapons would just _click._ Heck the next time I tried another pole I managed to throw it like an experienced spear thrower. Of course it was only a familiarity with the weapon, to hone that impulse you would still need intensive training to actually use it well.

Fortunately for me that my aura and my mind seem to be pretty aligned, because during _Before_ I had become greatly interested in all the various Polearms as well their old teachers, like Meyers, Liechtenauer…

"We're here!" I hummed absently and and stepped away from the man and approached a gaggle of children. They seemed to shrink back, and I had a sick feeling in my stomach. For whatever reason no one wanted to approach me, and it was annoying the hell out of me that I didn't know why. I was getting some bad vibes, but there was nothing I could do. Only the one faunus girl and Taiyang were willing to approach me. But that bunny girl was also terrified of me if for different reasons. She wouldn't be any help against _whatever_ this is.

Our teacher had a dark look on his face but schooled his expression, stopping anyone but me from noticing. I'm sure my eyes lit up when I noticed the bunny girl out of the corner of my eye. She stammered as I got within a few steps of her, but I heard her quietly admonish herself.

"H-Hi I'm Umber." She muttered cutely, and I felt a grin grow on my face. She was completely adorable in every way imaginable.

"Well I'm Summer Rose." Well technically Summer _Flamel_ Rose but I didn't want to chance someone knowing him. From what I could scrounge up he and my birth mother were natives to a heavily Grimm infested area on the Dragon continent, what had once been the last bastion of Alchemy. Other than Ozpin and I, Alchemy in every sense of the word is a dead and forgotten art.

Kind of sad really…but maybe one day I could help revive it. It could be just what Remnant needs to push back the Grimm even further. The bunny girl tilted her head and I refocused on making "friends."

"It's nice to meet you." Her face lit up at my friendly greeting and I wondered what I had done to make her so happy. "So, you want to learn how to use a Polearm?"

"Yep," her upper ears twitched and I felt the strange urge to touch them. But that would be incredibly rude. "It's just a weapon that's really _clicked_ with me you know?"

I perked up in an instant at her reply. "Yep… _definitely!_ " I felt an odd dance in my step as my excitement flowed down from my stomach and into my legs and feet. Which was not that different from back _Before_ whenever I was in a particularly good mood, heck any chance I got in private I would use to listen to music and…um dance around. That was pretty much the only manner I had of expressing myself, my excitement and energy tended to drop among large crowds.

But honestly I felt pretty good right now. I made two friends, and I was on my way to…

Something…

"Are you okay?" My bouncing stopped and I calmed myself not wanting to weird her out. I had the odd habit of bouncing in this body whenever I got happy, some of my old habits seemed to have returned more fiercely. I've even found myself _skipping_ when I'm excited enough. But it's not like I haven't done it before.

"Yeah," My eyes glanced over to the tall redhead teacher as he coughed. Umber straightened up. "We can talk more later, our teacher is talking." She gave an emphatic thumbs up, and I held my hands together waiting patiently.

"Hello my tiny friends!" I had the urge the roll my eyes but held myself back. No need to be rude, to someone who didn't seem afraid of me. The Norse looking fella spread out his arms, gesturing to the massive room around us. It was rather like a grin but with mats, as well as sizable supplies of various poles, and diagrams of various techniques. "Welcome to my Polearm Technique class, where we will learn the fundamentals of pole based combat!" I nodded along but was suddenly startled as he pointed right in my face.

"Uh…"

"Now my student what do you know about polearms?" The entire class were squinting their tiny eyes at me, and I took a deep breath. I shouldn't be so nervous, they're all just a bunch of kids. But still I guess I should show off a bit of what I know. I straightened my back and cleared my throat to speak.

"A Polearm is a close combat weapon in which the fighting weapon is placed on the end of a long shaft. Polearms can have a variety of different heads depending on the use of the weapon. Examples being spears, quarterstaffs, halberds, war scythes, poleaxes, and pikes. Polearms have a wider reach than weapons like swords, and are often more versatile as well."

The class had imperceptibly moved an inch back, now I wouldn't say they were impressed but who cares. Borr nodded with his hand on his chin and gestured for me to sit.

"Well informed, but how far will your knowledge carry you?" I shrugged, I would just go with the flow. I either figured it out or I didn't and I suppose I would have to take a different path. But hopefully destiny would let me…

"Now I believe it's time to start the class." He clasped his hands together and I removed my cloak, folding it into a neat little pile. We followed him out to the matted floor. Out of nowhere he pulled out a staff from _somewhere._ It was enormous made proportionally to the six and a half foot tall man.

"Now for your first lesson. I will teach you the parts of a stuff for you beginners." He grasped the staff and lifted one hand to the uppermost section of the staff. "This is the furthermost quarter, used for partying and striking." He returned his hand to the lower area. "This is the quarter near the hand, used for binding and controlling the opponent's weapon." I already knew this after reading some article somewhere.

He spoke about the two quarters between the hands used for parrying and shoving the opponent or staff around. There was also a bit that could be used to wrench an opponent's staff away from him. Some stuff about how you need to grip the staff Again I already knew a fair amount of this… but then knowledge is different from applying it in the real world. His spiel didn't end yet as we _finally_ started on how to use a staff.

"Now _this_ is one basic stance for Polearm users." He was standing narrowly in a broad, low stance with his left foot leading, an the left knee hanging above. His right foot was angled to at about 90 degrees to the right. I followed the movement, and a slight wave followed as I unintentionally jolted the students into action.

I tended to randomly practice stances just to test them out back when I had dance classes. This wasn't any different from then. Borr looked on approvingly at our initiative. The other students didn't have a bad time at it, able to pick up the stands rather quickly. But I'm sure there a lot of tiny imperfections that our teach would eventually correct. Teach went from student to student, tapping them with his Quarterstaff and making small corrections. With one student a short wolf faunus pushing his knee back to meet evenly with his right foot.

When he came to me, he pushed my back to make me straighten up and angled my shoulder slightly to the right. He nodded and I held still, until I jogged my memory. I tried…with some mild difficulty to shift my balance between forwards, center, and backwards though I had a hard time of it.

Borr started to demonstrate how to twist our hips in the right way and I incidentally learned about degrees and that weird clock thing. It didn't take me more than a minute or two to figure it out.

Now twist the ball of my leading foot from 12 o'clock to 10 o'clock… and raise my rear foot. There's really a lot of twisting motions in martial arts isn't there? Fortunately despite being the same height as in my previous life, everything feels a little more proportional here.

Stupid stubby legs…

Any who…afterward he taught us the various methods of footwork common to polearm combat. Though he did mention that aura users could make some changes, due to well… _aura._ Soul magic tends to make the usual strategies not work as well, or maybe even work better in some of them.

Either way…for now at least this would be how we would learn until the time was right. He eventually taught us several of the needed stances and even a few simple strikes(without the practice staffs).

It was a good day…too bad it was coming to a close. I felt a _little_ sore, but nothing I wasn't used to. Borr told us to stop, and I relaxed getting tired of just practicing. Physically I mean, and while isn't the most exciting thing to be doing, getting into it right away is _not_ a good idea. I would rather not get hurt or hurt someone else for stupid reasons.

"Class dismissed!"

I really need to pay attention to my surroundings more…

"Hey!" Taiyang rushed over just as I was leaving, stopping me in my tracks. I closed my notebook and placed it inside my backpack. He skidded across the concrete until he stopped just short of my face. One step back was all I needed and Tai gave me a small wave.

I felt my lips raise into an easy smile, and I sat down on the grass for a moment. He followed suit, and I waited for him to say anything.

"Are you leaving?" I nodded and he looked mildly distraught. I didn't know to feel about how quickly the kid patches onto me. But I don't think I minded as long as I had _someone_ to talk to.

"Hey we can still hang out when you get out of class in…about three hours?" He _beamed_ and I jittered as he grabbed my hand shaking it up and down in excitement.

I left him with a goodbye and a smile on my face. I walked over to our home, because while we do live pretty far out from everyone else. Running at say 30 miles and hour makes that time feel much less.

I still ended up running for about 20 minutes out into the outer reaches of town, edging in on the great forest nearby. I let my gaze wander deep into the dark forest wondering if there were any Grimm hiding within its borders. What kind of tales did the people of Remnant fell to keep their children safe? I heard some rustling and took a dozen steps back. My stance lowered and I lifted up my hands, a ripple of aura surged and my barrier stabilized.

The rustling grew louder and closer, and my thoughts were on whether or not I should run. I know how these things go, you hear a scary sound panic and it turns out it was a random person. But being on Remnant what if I'm wrong? It could be the difference between life and death if I don't flee.

"Oh sod it all!" I felt my breath leave me, as a dirty and messy Gilda emerged from the forest, pulling out stray leaves and branches. Her face was contorted into an expression of frustration and anger. I leaped in her direction, and smacked straight into her chest. I felt my face flush with anger and I ended up berating her for the next few minutes.

Seriously…who does that?! Is it necessary to make as much noise as possible?!

My caretaker gave me an apologetic look, and picked me up carrying me in one arm. She opened the door with her other hand, and there was a brief golden shine of _something._ My brows furrowed, now I needed to know what the heel her semblance was. I knew Glynda had a bullshit level of Telekinesis but her mother on the other hand…I hadn't seen her semblance even once. Only flashes of gold and yellow over the last month or so.

I slid down from my perch and ran up to my room. I left my backpack on my bed, and sat down. It had been a rather interesting day today, I was learning what I would someday end up needing to defend myself. Class was simple for now, and I still had time to have a somewhat normal life…

But…it wouldn't last forever. I had been thinking about what to do next for a long time. I'm not sure whether or not I should become a Huntress, but if I didn't I think I would quickly become paranoid. As a Huntsmen I would become _much_ stronger, able to defend myself from possible enemies. As a civilian I may or not not get even more attention on me. No matter what I did I wouldn't just stand still. I wanted to become a scientist back home, and even now that hasn't completely changed.

But…my ideas from home could bring unwanted protection from a number of unsavory groups. One of them being the Schnee Dust Company. From what I had read up, Weiss's father had already become the head of the company and married she mother. I listened to the whispers and rumors of of their unfair business practices, their growing monopoly, and the various subsidiaries that outcompeted local companies. About the possible ties to more…unsavory business, the mysterious _accidents_ that would lead to a company's bankruptcy. Only to later be bought up by the largest corporation in the world.

If I made an _independent_ group I'm not sure how long I would last, even if Ozpin could protect me. He doesn't exactly have the best track record on the whole…keeping his students alive. But admittedly that's just the nature of being a Huntsmen anyway. You can only do so much to protect your pupils from an endless horde of evil monsters after all. Maybe if I worked _with_ them, but I was still worried on what would end up happening if I did.

And as a civilian I would be easier to take out by people like Salem… Having magic eye powers is great and all, but it's not very conducive to a long life. But then again if I was some _random_ researcher maybe she wouldn't find me…

I don't think I have that kind of luck… the first moment I got here(woke up?) I found several dead bodies and almost got mauled to death by Beowolves. But it could be lucky to get saved by the Headmaster of Beacon and adopted by his future Deputy's mom. Meeting a future teammate in another timeline… and getting to build a rocket.

But even that luck is no guarantee of my safety. I've been doing okay but soon enough some other disaster would almost kill me, or _actually_ kill me.

"Dammit…" I muttered under my breath, as I smelled a delicious meal from downstairs. I rolled my shoulders, wincing at a low crack, as well as opening the door to my room. As I stepped out for lunch, I hoped that this peace would last much longer…

In the days that followed it didn't take too long for my hopes to get shattered.

Deep in a house long since abandoned an ancient being of hatred and rage was searching for the _familiar_ feeling of silver. It's car sized paws carved through the soil as it sniffed around, its wolf like snout twitching as it picked up a strong scent.

" **AWOOOO!** " It howled into the night sky, and hundreds of others followed suit. The wolf like Grimm breathed in the deep scent and its snout formed into a twisted inhuman grin. It's legs sprung with raw power and it leaped dozens of feet in the air.

It had the scent of a Silver Eyes Warrior


	4. Early Days Arc: Chapter 4

**Author's Note:**

Hah, this chapter ending up being quite a bit longer than I expected... this chapter initially started as something more simple, until some ideas ran away from me. You'll see later what the title means. Anyways please review and follow and I don't own any of Roosterteeths property yada yada yada...

 **Chapter Four: The Wedge of Heaven and the Wolf that swallowed the Sun**

"Come on Summer _stop._ " I grinned as I pulled Taiyang along to what I had deemed the Kerbal Space Shed. It had been several months now since we had struck up our initial friendship on my first day. He had been surprisingly attentive to our friendship, which was odd since he had a fair number of friends other than me. For whatever reason he didn't want to introduce me…but if they were the same guys from before then fair enough. Any time that wasn't spent with working on my abilities, alchemy, or amauter rocketry was spent with him. I could have hung out with the other uh… _girls_ but most of them don't seem to like me very much.

Except for Umber of course but she's great…as for everyone else.

Well…sucks for them, I'm awesome! But anyway back to the Shed, my experiments had advanced a fair bit now. Longer runs, more accurate equipment, and more rocket chambers. I had also been working on making a lithium ion battery using alchemy. Which if this stuff didn't work at atomic to even subatomic levels meant I would have had some issues.

I still needed to figure out what chemistry to use, there was Lithium Iron Phosphate, low energy density, but high cycle life and stability, or maybe one of the Nickel rich cathodes like NCA, NCM, or NCMA. Which were more than twice as energy dense but had moderate cycle life, and lower thermal stability. Fortunately Lithium is a pretty common material on Remnant, the main use of it was in various metal alloys and medical use as a treatment for bipolar disorder. Cobalt might be a bit of an issue too…but honestly if you know a Huntsman or Huntress you should be fine, those guys are pretty _loaded._

Now let me open this door _and…_

"We're here!" I waved my hands in the air introducing my friend to my new workshop. His eyes had widened, and I grinned at the sparkle of excitement in his eyes.

"What _is_ this place?" He bounced from one foot to the other as he looked around the crowded shop. His awe increased when he saw the aluminum fuselage for my newer rocket. It had the same engine design but now there was an actual rocket to fly. It was almost done…and I only needed a few more adjustments before it was ready for flight. And in case of unplanned disassembly I had a bunch of extra rockets as a backup.

"Rocket lab…" I smirked as he gasped, and felt a sense of pride at what I had done here. He scanned the room with his eyes, his lips just slightly open.

"So _cool…_ " Yes I am cool my dear friend. Now listen to my voice, peasant…

I really need to get out more if I'm talking like this in my head now. Taiyang was suddenly distracted and he veered over to a desk open to the college courses I was taking. He looked a little flabbergasted as he tried to read my notes, and was unable to comprehend a single paragraph.

"Uh is this?"

I scoffed at his foolishness. "Elementary my dear Taiyang, only some easy Logarithms, nothing too complicated really." My friend had the cutest expression of complete confusion on his face. He had not idea of what to make of my scribbles and writings.

"Um…okay are…these _college_ level courses."

"And…?" I quirked a brow, and he blushed, his ears turning red. The little guy was _really_ easy to tease and I ultimately couldn't help myself. His embarrassment shifted to an expression I knew _very_ well and I narrowed my eyes at him.

"So _Xiao Long_ do you think it will take you to finish them all."

"Oh hoho!" I rubbed my chin with a glint in my eye. "I would say about four or five _Summers._ " I waggled my eyebrows up and down for further emphasis. "Doing them online will help me avoid the _Rose_ and _Rose_ of older college students in the future."

I waggled them a second time…

"How _adorable._ " I puffed out my cheeks as Gilda came out of nowhere. I hadn't even noticed her show up. The door to the shed was wide open… and my scowl turned to a frown as I noticed some injuries on her face. She was dripping some blood on the floor but otherwise she didn't _look_ like she was critically injured. She smiled weakly at my concern and waved me off saying that a smarter than average Grimm had caught her off guard. But that didn't really make me feel any better at all…

I found some bandages, and remembering some tips I washed my hands, and pressed a clean cloth to the lacerations for a couple of minutes. I didn't understand why she wasn't using her aura and that made me rather nervous. Even if injuries didn't necessarily heal instantly, I should still see some signs of it. Approaching her face revealed that she looked _exhausted,_ more than I had ever seen her before. I noticed a set of golden armor with a tattered red cape, long since dirtied by dirt, ash, and grimm goop. There was also noticeable cracks and lacerations as if something _enormous_ had attacked it. She covered her eyes on her own, and I pulled her to a sink to wash the injury. I removed the fairly decent amount of dirt particles, I didn't want her to get infected.

"Hey Tai can you get the antiseptic for M— _her._ " He nodded and I ignored Gilda's hurt look. He passed it and applied it to the thankfully small cuts, her aura had likely reduced the severity of _whatever_ happened to her. She took it like a ch—well like a Huntsmen and didn't let even a hint of a hiss of pain leave her lips.

"What happened?" I asked her and she flinched at the question. I pouted and waited for her to answer, and even crossed my arms. She hesitated and she slumped as she failed to not tell me.

"I…encountered a _very_ powerful Grimm…it managed to break my aura near the very." I felt an odd _grey_ feeling surge up and I had to keep myself from gripping her face. I focused on the task at hand, and finally wrapped the bandage around, and started to clean up. I was silent and decided to test something, I placed my hands on Gilda's toned stomach and _pulsed._ My frown deepened when I noticed just how damaged she was…her face was fine, but her ribs were cracked, and there were pulled muscles all over the place.

"I'm calling Glynda." Like magic, my "sister" appeared and with a wave of her weapon(still a crop by the way) froze Gilda. She gently maneuvered her with her semblance and told me to take charge while she took o-her mother to the hospital.

…

…

"Well…that happened." Tai could only nod, and I gestured him forward with my index finger. He did so, and the both of sat down on the chairs facing the fuselage. Two custom aluminum(alchemy made) tanks held the fuel and oxidizer. Most of the piping was in…and in fact the engine was in too. The only step left really was to place it on the vertical test stand.

"So…you want to know what this does?" I asked him cheekily. He added quite a bit of force behind his nod, and I decided to oblige.

"Well my friend…this is the Falcon 0.5 Kerosene and LOX powered cloud cutter rocket! With its non Dust powered engine it will rise into the sky higher than anything made by an 11 year old has ever gone!" My excitement got the better of me for a moment and I flashed Tai a brief smile.

"Woah…cool!" He tried to touch my precious rocket with his grubby hands and I water him.

"No! No touching not until…" I paused for effect, and he rubbed his hand in pain.

"Until…?"

"I have chosen you!" I have no idea what I'm being so dramatic for, it's rather uncharacteristic. "To be my assistant! Will you help me in this endeavor?"

"Uh sure… why are you being so weird?" I shrugged not having the faintest idea why I was acting like a maniac. Maybe it was to feel better after seeing my sole caretaker in such a poor state?

"You know we're best friends right? You can tell me whatever is on you mind?" My muscles tensed at Taiyangs statement, and I bit my lip as I glanced away.

I could trust him with this secret right? He's _Taiyang_ he isn't going to tell anyone about whatever I tell him.

"Uh I want to tell you a secret."

Taiyang looked surprised but nodded anyway.

I scratched the back of my head, waiting for a speechless Taiyang to say anything. I worried that maybe I had broke him, and a part of me worried he would tell other people. As to why I told him? Well if he's going to be a future teammate I would have to tell him the truth eventually correct?

Stop making excuses…own up to _why_ you did it. Taiyang was still holding the metal bird I had transmuted from a high iron content rock I had found. I patted his shoulder and sighed in relief when his expression shifted into excitement like he usually did.

"Can you teach me!?" That would be the _worst_ possible outcome if I did. It's easy to play off my alchemy as part of a powerful semblance, a little more difficult when it's two people.

But…teaching someone Alchemy sounds like it would be fun, and despite what you would think Tai isn't a snitch. So I suppose I could teach him some of what I know. But honestly I had already been teaching him the basics without him even knowing it.

"But you already know the basics of alchemy…" His eyes bugged out in realization and he asked me if I could demonstrate some more. I had recently made a highly specific circle for making delicious cookies…which…made taken some time. Technically with the arrays I had on my hand I could pretty much create any alchemical reaction. I just need to have a great deal of control with my mind, even with a basic general purpose array. But it had nowhere near that level to control yet, which was as when I figured out why those arrays were on the glove even though I could barely use them.

While I could use them on my own, since it isn't as specific there's less control over the reaction. _But_ I could use the array and my memory to change the pattern on the palm of the glove and make the more specific arrays. Like right at this instant I had a downright _powerful_ elemental control array. On my left I could manipulate water and air to manipulate the weather. With the right I could control earth like what Ed would do, or make weapons. And when the arrays overlapped…I got fire manipulation on top of it.

As for the cookie array it had taken me some time to formulate the array…it was simpler to use than the _peculiar_ plant to bread array contained within the more advanced Alchemy books. I even found an array for a goddamn _hard drive_ array. Frankly I doubt I would be able to do that for quite a while…

I began placing the various ingredients within a triangle, ¾ cups of granulated sugar, ¾ packed brown sugar, ½ cup salted butter, and 1 teaspoon vanilla extract. 1 teaspoon of table salt, and 2 cups of semi-sweet chocolate chips. I didn't have any need for baking sodas since I had that covered with the circle.

"That triangle? Represents heat right?" I gave him a thumbs up, this was really more a mixing, rising, heating array. Basically all it did was act like an alchemy based oven, if cooking much faster. And what do you know a couple of minutes(?) later and I had a batch of 40 chocolate chip cookies. I gave one a taste test and smacked my lips appreciatively, as it met my seal of approval. Tai didn't take one, instead he looked at me with a question in his eyes.

"I've noticed in some of the books you've brought that there's a bunch of different arrays that do the _exact_ same thing but look different, why is that?" I chose down on a few more cookies before deciding to answer him. I watered the food down with a cup of milk and once it was done cleared my throat so I could reply.

"Well the thing is…that the symbols don't actually matter too much, outside of the circle itself. The symbols are just there to _represent_ a part of the alchemy. What those symbols mean are going to vary based on culture quite often. It's the alchemist that gives meaning and power to that symbol."

"That's still cool. Uh mind if I give it a shot?" I nodded and he drew the same basic array I had used over four months ago. He placed his own pebble there, from what I could sense it was a silicate material and I nodded as he pressed his hands near the circle. A flash of light followed, and within a minute a small lumpy stone tiger had come to life. Not literally of course…

Not yet anyway…

"I think I'm going to have a fun time teaching you the ways of alchemy."

A lot of fun indeed…

But not so much fun with martial arts…

"God Dammit why am I so bad at this?!" I shrieked as I took a pole to the face, my aura flashing with the impact. Umber let out an apology and pulled me up from our mat. Turns out I was right about theory not translating as well you would hope in the real world. Now I wasn't _terrible_ but I wasn't very good either, at my current level I would say I slightly above average. Which was still better than about half of the class.

The fucking cherry on top though was the fact that with my semblance, the whole detecting imperfections applies to people too. I can notice just where I need to hit, to bring them down. But one, it's an obvious mistake to rely on it all the time, and two you need the reaction time to actually use that information.

I felt a sigh coming on by suppressed it…there was no time to mope while we were still in class.

"Good spar…but I know you can make some improvements Summer." I nodded wearily, rolling my wrists and trying to keep my temper under check. I suspected that if went to Beacon I would need to compensate my weakness with my semblance as well as my Alchemy, now that there was an effective difference really.

It didn't help that Gilda was routinely coming back tired as hell and even some minor scratches. She wasn't willing to tell me anything not wanting to worry me. So in the end I asked Ozpin and he told me the truth.

There's a good chance a massive Grimm attack is coming…

Right after they rescued me there was a an abnormal surge in Grimm activity, with dozens of villages attacked and a couple were even destroyed. But apparently something Ozpin had found from a recent set of files discovered and decoded disturbed him an he told me he _knew_ what I was.

Which…wasn't really a surprise so _whatever…_

There's been a sizable amount of change recently and I've heard some rumblings about evacuations, as well as the discrete missions sent out to some Huntsmen to Mountain Glenn. I…I'm an idiot, I could have _said_ something about what was going to happen. I heard all the news about that mountain as well as the posters advertising for families to move in and I still…

It was good that he got just enough warning to reduce the casualties from thousand to only hundreds. But I don't doubt it wouldn't take too long to match that death toll with the sheer number of attacks on towns and villages. It only gets worse…the Grimm that almost killed Gilda is _still_ alive and she didn't tell me that so I wouldn't panic. Which fair enough wasn't entirely wrong.

"H-Hello?" I blinked ending my internal rant as Umber snapped her fingers in front of my face. She had her face set in a hard line, and I apologized quietly. "It's okay, I understand you get distracted but…if it wasn't for that habit of overthinking you probably could have beaten me." I think I got what she was saying. "It's good to think about what your opponent might do, but you take too much time and that isn't good."

She's…right I always try to plan out an elaborate and unnecessary strategy to beat her…pretending to be some tactical genius. If I was a faster thinker maybe it could work, but as I am it doesn't.

"Thanks for the help." No reason not to be grateful to her for the assistance. Umber turned scarlet and mumbled cutely and I gave her an easy grin.

I sat down on a bench, and hungrily downed some water from bottles kindly placed for our benefit. This was one of my better days, this time I had actually come close to beating Umber, and she was the best Polearm user in the entire class. But there was hint of slowness in her step that made me guess that she was intentionally holding back.

The art of martial arts is complicated for the uninitiated…though even with superpowers things didn't tend to change too much. Certain tactics will stay the same, on Remnant there are just…extra ones. In my case the issue with fighting Umber is that she always strikes first to catch me off guard and it works too well with my current slow methodical style.

I've been fumbling with the fundamentals of fighting…most of it had had been with spacing and reading. I have a hard time at reading what an opponent is going to do, and my overthinking again gives people time to thrust a pole into my stomach. But I'm getting better, and Umber is a good test du— _sparring_ partner for me. I've begun to noticed the little habits she's developed over time. The main thing I've noticed is that her bunny ears twitch just the slightest before a low hit.

I'm going to take advantage of that the next time we fight. As to anyone who doesn't know what I'm talking about (I know someone out there is listening…). There are at least four fundamentals of combat starting with spacing, which is basically what it says on the tin. The ability to keep myself at a range where I can execute attacks or recover, but my opponent can't.

Now in the case of Umber and I that doesn't work quite as well since our reach is similar(but not identical). Then there's Reading which is well predicting what your opponent may do by picking up on their habits or patterns. It's almost a breeze with Analysis but someday I might go up against someone too fast for me, or where I can't use my semblance.

"You're getting faster." I nodded uneasily as Umber brushed up next to me, her upper ears twitching as if listening to a low sound. "And you aren't telegraphing as much as before. Getting harder to predict, in no time I…uh think you'll get more even with me."

I really hoped so…

"Hah good spar out there! You have both improved considerably over the past few months." Umber squeaked while I let loose a high pitched yelp as Borr snuck up behind us despite his advanced age and tall stature. I felt the slap of his hand on my shoulder, and held back a sigh of annoyance.

The damn bastard had the tendency to sneak up behind you in the most inconvenient moments possible. Frankly I wouldn't doubt he did it on purpose just to mess with people. I can't blame him either, if I could do that I would just _love_ to freak people out.

"Of course teacher." I dryly replied to him, while picking up my practice weapon from the floor. I frowned as I sensed some microscopic amounts of damage, but ignored it for now. I placed it back on the weapon stand, and our teacher dismissed us.

"Please keep practicing and you _will_ improve!" He hollered loudly, and groaned as several students laughed mockingly.

Most of the school, at least those around my age seemed unwilling to go near me, or if they did appeared to just plain dislike me. Something about me appeared to frighten the students, and it was only recently when I figured out why. Apparently some jackass had spread a stupid rumor, blaming me for the Grimm attacks. I have no damn clue how any of that would make any fucking sense but…kids aren't always the brightest people.

Whatever…

Anyways…I kept walking, and decided to move along.

I don't want it bore you too much with the details of History, well no I kind of do. I had some random female cat faunus as our teacher. He had taught us some basics on the history of early Remnant peoples.

Humanity started off as hunter-gatherers just like we did, with the sole exception of being constantly harassed by the creatures of Grimm. An unending horde daring to swallow humanity into the darkness. For centuries mankind fled back and forth from every known corner of the Earth, almost nowhere was safe, without Dust the only place humanity could flee to was the cold continent where the nation of Mantle and its successor state of Atlas would one day arise. But crossing an ocean of monsters was a near impossible task, leaving mankind to wither away.

There are only a few artefacts from this time period, broken spears, axes, and pottery all that is of left of the people of that time. Modern humanity called that period of unknown length the Age of Grimm. Where the beasts of hatred and bloodlust ruled as the single most powerful and populous species on the planet. That terrible and tumultuous times end was marked by the first known use of Dust, a 2181 year old spearhead with a chunk of rough shaped Fire Dust embedded into the center.

Soon after, the era of Man began, pushing back the darkness. But no matter what the darkness was always watching, waiting for humanity to make just one mistake. To make our species fall into the hall of extinction like so many other species before us.

There were still many mysteries behind the dark age. Mainly, how did primitive humans and faunus survive with only aura and weak stone and early bronze weapons to protect them from the prowlers of the night. The only clue behind their survival was the story of the Silvers Eyes Warrior and the fairytale of the Four Maidens, an ancient oral story placed down onto writing 1700 years ago.

Other than that…nothing at all could be revealed, the ancient ruins and their secrets protected by the creatures that destroyed them.

"Hey sister." I perked up as Glynda jogged up behind me, before slowing down and walking in step with me. I gave her a little wave, and smiled glad to see her face.

"Hello~" I replied to her with a slight sing-song voice feeling in a good mood for the day. Despite being barely above average I _was_ still improving, and hoped that mom–err… Gilda's Aura Awareness lesson today would be good. I had largely figured out how to keep my aura up when I needed it, though it wasn't as efficient as an actual Huntsmen. Apparently through training you could up your amount of aura, as well as make it better able to deflect blows, reducing the amount of aura lost per attack. "So whatcha here for?"

"What? Can't a sister just surprise her younger sister?" Glynda had a small smirk on her face, that told me she was lying. I walked past the house into the clearing used as our training ground. There in a set of _shining_ armor no longer tainted and smeared by battle, stood Gilda.

I had never gotten a close look at the armor that Gilda wore. It certainly fit the meaning of her name to a tee. It was also terrifyingly familiar having seen that kind of armor only once before.

She was wearing the armor of King Gilgamesh… and what that meant told me a lot of what her semblance could be. It also made me worry about just how tough the Grimm that attacked her really was, if it managed to hurt her and still get away.

I relaxed as she clapped her armored hands together, a resounding _boom_ beginning the class session. I took a seat on the mat, criss cross applesauce and all. Gilda remained standing, with her eyes flashing red and gold for a brief second. Apparently before having aura and combat training I was shitty at noticing the obvious, which makes sense I've always had an issue with tunnel vision.

"Now since I've already got you well on your way to using your aura well, now I'll teach you some of the more advanced techniques. Including a few other movement techniques and some special attack techniques." I perked up at Gilda's last words, since those were ultimately the most difficult non semblance related aura abilities. Other than the various Dust casting attacks some aura users can do of course.

Basically while channeling aura into your body is fairly simple once you get the hang of it, the world around you still runs on _most_ of the laws of physics. If I tried to run at say 50 plus meters per second, I would either end up tripping or breaking the concrete with the force, whichever comes first. That would make it mighty inconvenient to fight Grimm and rogue Huntsmen.

So today we were focusing on channeling our aura into the _ground_ instead of just our bodies. Our light is able to manipulate the molecular properties of an object temporarily. Making a soft object rigid, or a strong object flexible, or even change the a surface become smooth or not smooth. Of course they can't hold this forever, only sustaining it for as long as they need to.

So to run fast on a normal surface, you need to increase the friction between your foot and the ground to prevent slipping. I've actually figured this out a while back, though I'm only good with wooden floors and roads, but I'm getting better with the other kinds, like say a grassy field, or the cliff side of a mountain.

But now we were working on skating and hopping. The first involved increased friction on the front of the foot, and decreasing friction on the back of the foot. It's basically what Weiss uses to move the way that she does. Hopping is what anyone uses when they leave a hundred feet into the air by reinforcing the ground and then leaping upwards.

I stood up and I let out breath as I focused a fraction of my aura downward. I was moved down to a smooth flat terrain of grass and smirked. But with one step…

"Oh shi—zzle!" I lose control and fell flat on my face.

So…I wasn't having the easiest time at it, but I _was_ getting better. I was never very good at skating, but using it here was an efficient way to use my aura and potentially faster. If limited to only certain kinds of terrain, mostly empty and flat areas, like sand dunes, and snowy areas.

I've got the _hopping_ down, having practice in private but…well I left a few craters here and there. Also got myself buried in the ground for a half hour until Glynda dug me out. Which was stupid since I had my hands free and could have used alchemy.

She made fun of me for an entire week after that…

"No distractions!" I rubbed my reddening forehead glaring at Gilda after she swatted me. "If you can't focus on this task then we can move on to attack techniques."

Ah, special attack techniques…

As to what they are, they are _special_ uses of aura where a Huntsmen will direct aura outward in a violent force. Like how Red used his punches to blow up a Grimms head, or the various sword beams and wind slashes that show up. Basically all those weird shock wave attacks are just applications of sure instead of breaking the sound barrier or moving the wind with pure force.

Now that they _can't_ break the sound barrier with pure speed, but that's entering the upper echelons of Huntsmen who top out in the upper transonic range.

Now breathe in, breathe out…it's time to… _focus._

I felt some of my aura concentrate into my hand, coiling and boiling up as the instability increased. I did my best to contain the power, gritting my teeth together as my hand twitches.

"Now hit _this._ " Gilda placed down a meter tall wooden log in front of me, and I lifted up my hand. I glanced down at the heavy object and with a roar threw the aura out violently.

 _BOOM!_

The log exploded into dozens of sharp pieces of wood and bark, the air vibrating and oscillating as the aura passed through it.

"Hah! I did it!" I _leaped_ into the air, reaching 3 meters up before coming back down. I ended up flattening the grass under my feet, but it was worth it.

"Not bad, it didn't go this well for me when _I_ started out." I grinned as Glynda patted me on the back. She had a similar smile on her face, and gave me a light bump with her hip. "At the right you're going, it won't be long before mom decides to set up a Grimm hunt or two." My smile shrunk for a moment, but despite that I nodded regardless. I think…it was controlled I wouldn't have a problem with it.

Grimm…were terrifying and I had done my best to forget that day. The smell, the growls and howls, the sound of their claws raking against the log…

"You excited too?" Glynda pressed her right index finger against my forehead, tapping it three times before retracting it. My face split into a small smile, and I closed my eyes deciding to try again.

 _BOOM!_

 _BOOM!_

Okay what if I…?

 _WHOOSH!_

A cutting wind was thrust out from my hand, with my two family… members nodding approvingly. I tried it a few more times but stopped as my aura started dropping. I curled my fingers together once I had finished with practice. So the attacks are powerful but can use a _lot_ of aura when you're still inexperienced. Very interesting, they could put to good use in later fights.

"I think now is a good time to stop the lesson. What do you two think?" Gilda sounded confident about, and I nodded absently. Her expression shifted to a curious one, looking like she wanted to know something. "Now…"

"You said you were working on a new project in the workshop?" I already knew what she wanted from me.

"You want me to show you what I was working on?"

"Yes, _please._ "

Heh, well it should be rather…. _electrifying._

"So this is?" Glynda gestured to four metallic rails placed on a non conductive table. One had large supercapacitors to power it, while the other had two small smooth balls of Blitz(Lightning) Dust for power. Both were tests for differing power sources for a _certain_ type of gun I had always been enamored with.

"Railgun…" I almost felt shivers as I ran my fingers along the smoothly machined Covetic Copper rails. Glynda responded with an eyebrow raise, though she did lean closer.

"And?" She wrapped her arms around her still armored chest, since she hadn't bothered to change out of it.

"Oh," a nearly maniacal grin split my face. "It's an electromagnetically propelled gun instead of being propelled directly by Dust. With a _pulse_ of electrical input the two rails will generate a powerful magnetic field accelerating the conductive armature to over five times the speed of sound." I flinched back as the Huntress rushed over, placing her own delicate hands on the prototype.

It ran on a moderately _expensive_ high purity Lightning Dust crystal battery with a _gigantic_ amount of energy density. Well above the energy density of metallic hydrogen, but far short of nuclear reactions.

"That's amazing! How far along are you?" I answered her by turning on a screen, showcasing a video of a previous tests. The screen popped up, and I sat on the wooden chair, getting comfy.

In the video the two railguns brimmed with energy and a small sonic _boom_ rang out as a five gram aluminum projectile hit about 800 meters per second. Both prototypes reached this energy, though the ultracapacitor had already reached its limit.

"That isn't quite what I expected…" she sounded disappointed but I shook my head, and pulled lightly on her hair.

"It's not ready yet, there are still improvements that must be made on the material of the rails, I need to draw more energy from the Dust crystal too. For the prototypes I hope to hit a muzzle velocity of 2000 meters per second in about a month." Her face lit up, and I swear she licked her lips in excitement. I felt an uncomfortable shiver and ignored the _look_ on her face. I really hoped I didn't make those same kinds of faces, when I got excited about science and technology.

"Now it should…" I trailed off as a wave of raw _terror_ blasted against my body and mind. Gilda's aura exploded outwards and a growl escaped her lips. Glynda trembled and her telekinesis rippled the air.

" **AAWWOOOWWW!** " A vicious howl shook the entire house; and my hairs stood on end, as _hundreds_ of growls and roars responded back. I yelped as Gilda threw me into Glynda's arms.

"Take Summer! Get out of here and RUN! Evacuate any civilians you can!" The world _blurred_ around me as little good witch leaped through an open window taking me with her.

I could hear screaming and taste the signature iron of blood in the air. I flinched as massive feathers rushed toward us, faster than most of us could move.

 _PING!_

The makeshift projectile weapons shattered uselessly gainst Glynda's glyph, having retrieved her weapon.

The air was filled with hazards as dozens of (thank god) young Nevermores, most now bigger than a mid size SUV. My sister… reacted with several tons of broke metal, knocking the bird right out of the sky. A resounding boom signalled its quick demise.

"AWOO—URR!" Dozens of beowolves were cut off as the sound of steel _whooshed_ through the air. A golden light the only tell of _something_ happening.

"I'm going to put you down okay? I can't fight as well while carrying you at the same time. If you need a weapon you can use your 'semblance" Glynda gave me wink, trying to reassure me by being a dork.

It's a good thing I always wear gloves, should probably get some array tattoos as a backup…

I pressed my hands together, and the ground underneath my right arm was drawn out by a powerful force. The rock and concrete reformed as I dragged the steel rebar underneath. I would probably pay for damaging the road from our home to town but…I like living more. After a few seconds, a single carbon steel spear was dropped in my hand. My aura took to it like a fish to water, reinforcing the weapon.

We started to run away from the house and to the now well known evacuation point, but we were blocked…

Three beowolves and one Ursa greedily growled, their claws twitching as they had us surrounded. I assessed the situation as my mind went into overdrive. Instead of wasting energy on my semblance I could use alchemy… Blue energy surged into the ground and two beowolves yelped as the earth itself turned against them. One was impaled as metallic spike popped up under its body. The other was knocked away by a stone hand, into the third wolf.

Glynda used their distraction against them, and a wave of debris shattered their spines. I felt a surge of killing intent and twisted my spear, and with a flick of my wrist stabbed through another wolf's jaw. I felt shock and surprise as my aura, surged into the Grimm, and its head exploded into bits.

" **AWOOO!** " I let out a shaky breath at the unnaturally loud howl shaking the sky with its power. It sounds like a Beowolf…but no mere cannon fodder Grimm would ever sound like this.

My left hand array glowed as I drew the water and air around me and flash froze another wolf, then I superheated it and…

 _BOOM!_

The Grimm exploded like a super sized pressure cooker, leaving only dust and noxious gas in its wake. As we approached the evacuation point, the number of Grimm continued to grow, which wasn't a good sign for us.

"HIYA!" I perked up as a familiar boyish voice broke through the cacophony of sounds. From a wrecked building a golden haired blur emerged, side stepping a blow from a larger than average Ursa, around 12 feet tall and _very_ angry. I gasped as Taiyang rushed in close, grabbing the throat of the Ursa with his bare hands and slammed the Grimm into the ground with gleeful prejudice. While the bear was down her leaped over and onto the giant monsters neck, and with a _twist_ snapped its neck. The Grimm disappeared in a blast of dark gas and particles, and after a scan of the area around us I walked over to him.

"H-Hey." My voice was unsteady, still not used to using my aura for long periods of combat. Tai was doing better, but I could sense his heartbeat rising to absurd levels. The golden boy turned to me, his eyes lighting up in recognition as he slammed the back of his fist against a beowolf cracking its bony faceplate. I decided to help and focused on the elements in the air.

"One, two, three…" Snap…

 _SHOOM!_

A directed blast of fire seared the screaming wolf's head off, its arms and legs wildly waving in the air. I heard ribs _shattering_ as Tai gave it a good kick, the monster heaving in pain. The creature crumpled to the ground, dead and dissolving into monstrous ashes.

"Thanks for the help Summs!" I gave him a polite wave with the spear, before gripping it tightly as more roars echoed.

It was a good thing that for all their terrifying appearance and malicious nature. That Grimm were essentially a bunch of brain dead morons with no sense of self preservation or else we would be quite dead. The elder ones were dangerous _just_ for that fact alone, and even if they're borderline mentally regressive. But just because their stupid, it doesn't mean you should let your guard down.

The Grimm sent humanity to the brink for a reason…

"Someone please…h-help me…" I flinched as a weak and raspy voice called out for help. I tilted my head to better hear where the sound was coming from, Glynda's eye widened for some reason and she tried to pull me away as I slowly walked up to a pile of rubble. I poked the broken artificial road and house materials with my spear. Taiyang came in to help, but maintained a healthy view of the perimeter.

Glynda hesitantly and gently lifted off a large concrete slab and I froze at the horrific sight underneath. Even Glynda's cool and stoic eyes widened in horror, while Taiyang had turned green.

There was… a faunus I think that looked _oddly_ familiar. A set of chocolate brown bunny ears, that lay broken and motionless. He himself wasn't in the best of shape, coughing out blood and bile.

His left arm was twisted in a clearly unnatural position, and I could see white bone exposed. His right eye was closed shut and even if he somehow managed to survive, would be left blind. It when I glanced at his chest…

A massive slash from Grimm claws had ripped open his stomach…I didn't even now he could still be alive. He had apparently pressed a clothed boulder onto the unfixable wound, keeping his life fluids from leaking out completely.

For a second I swore I saw a rib poking out…even the idea of it made me want to throw up. He gestured with a twitch of his right arm to come closer and I did with a sense of dread and horror. It only grew when I saw his eyes…

They were the exact same shade as Umber's…

"W-What is it?" I was quivering and my voice had become unsteady, my eyes scanning his damaged face. He lifted up a bloodied photo, and I gingerly took it into my shaking left hand.

In the small family picture stood him, a pretty brown eyed rabbit faunus and Umber.

Oh god… _where_ is she?

"I…need you to…," A sickly cough wracked his body and a splatter of blood fell onto the floor. "Find her I beg of you! Her—my wife managed to get to the evacuation zone…but we lost sight of when the _big_ one came." My grip on my makeshift spear tightened and I nodded before he could say anything else. He laughed with glee and relief and reached for me. I took his remaining hand and he shook it with all his remaining strength.

"Thank the gods… please from the bottom of my soul thank you… t-thank you…" His strong grip vanished and his hand flopped to the ground with little fanfare. The man's eyes had closed and his skin had turned deathly pale as his life finally left him.

I watched a man die…

I…watched him die…

I didn't do anything…I _couldn't_ help him at all…

I WATCHED A MAN DIE!

I watched as my second friend's dad bled out…and DID NOTHING!

I…

I-I…

"SUMMER SNAP OUT OF IT!"

Glynda was actively shaking me and I pushed her away in response. I lost my lunch on the ground, the image just too much to handle for me. I felt shivers turn up and down my spine, a deep cold numbing my senses. I didn't protest as Glynda pulled me into a hug, whispering gentle words and brushing away the tears…

Tears? What is… I used my unoccupied right hand to grab at my face, noticing with a frown that water had escaped from my eye and down to the bloody ground.

That was when it hit…remembering what _he_ had told me.

"UMBER! I HAVE TO FIND HER!" I gripped the steel pole with both of my hands but just as I leaped an invisible force stopped me. I felt a rage surge up as an angry Glynda placed me into stasis.

"Glynda…" I gave her a growl and the teenage girl shook her head. My fingers were twitching urging me to activate the arrays on my hands. But I stopped myself, trying to calm my heart and slow my breath. My body relaxed and I lay perfectly still.

"I-I…promised…" Her expression softened at my distress and she sighed, placing me firmly on my feet.

"I never said I wouldn't help…" I felt some hope rise as she spoke. "But if you leave our side you could _die._ " I nodded forlornly knowing she was right, and that I was being an idiot for no reason.

"So…can we?" She gave me a serious nod, and her expression became steely. Taiyang lifted up his fists giving me a confident(clearly forced) smile.

We started to move, searching for any sign of Umber. Regardless we stayed within six paces of the other, not willing to risk getting separated. No Grimm came to harass, and I felt anxiety and an odd _paranoia,_ like something was watching us. I decided to _reinforce_ my senses, smirking once the light breathy sigh became more familiar.

"Umber?" A brown blur crossed the distance in an instant and I felt for the first time the full force of a glomp. The little bunny was shaking like a leaf,but before I could comfort her in some way she let go. I only saw a frighteningly blank expression, though my confusion was tempered as _loud_ footsteps shook the town. I turn to face Glynda as I heard her choke…her eyes had widened in terror as she looked _up_ at something.

A large shadow blocked out the sun and I took a sizable step back, as from behind a burning house a massive hand crushed the remaining roof with its weight. The hand was the length of a small sedan, around 15 _feet_ in length. There were sizable scars and old healed bullet sounds adorning the paw. The claws themselves were several feet long and nearly a foot thick and as they curled inward stabbed deep in the former home.

I look up and if anyone could have seen my face, they would have known how pale I was. It looked like a beowolf…but it wasn't…too big, too well armored. The massive monster drooled, dropping black tipped saliva that smelled _horrid._ The stench of blood and death clung to the beast. That…thing looked very much like an alpha if an alpha was the size of a _damn_ building. It opened its mouth…

" **AAWWOOOOOO!** " I felt shivers again as it's call shook the town. It snarled as it grabbed ahold of a car and with a flick of its wrists flung the car blocking a two meter long golden sword.

The four of us took a step back as it's tail tore the ground away with raw force. I heard the click of heels as a feminine figure approached from the dust and ash of our burning town. In that moment of distraction we hid from sight, it wasn't a good idea to get close to an elder Grimm and trained Huntsmen.

My danger senses were ticking off like crazy, and the entire town was quiet now. I couldn't hear any sound other than the crackling of fire. I kept my hand on my spear, but there was no presence that indicated any Grimm other than that _monster_ in front of us. Strangely enough it stood perfectly still as Gilda approached, her advance implacable. It's claws curled inward once again and it straightened its back, appearing almost human before its eyes flashed with the alien hatred it had for humanity.

"Well then…" There was only coldness and contempt in Gilda's voice, no sign of the kind(if a little crazy) women who had willingly taken me in. That tone…

Her eyes shifted to red…

 _SHOOM!_

From up above her dozens of portals, resembling shining liquid gold were summoned and I could see the small amused smirk on her face. The Grimm was unflinching and shoved its hand into the ground, throwing up several tons of dirt in an artificial avalanche. Gilda sighed and with a wave of her hand multiple shields flew out of the portals. The elder tilted its head, looking intrigued at the development as if it had never seen such a thing before.

"Heh," a small chuckle escaped Gilda's throat and she continued to step into the Grimm's space. "I suppose you wouldn't know what this is," Gilda gestured to her portals. "You attacked me when I was _exhausted…_ very smart to attack me when I was down, but it also means you don't know what I'm fully capable of…"

A flash of metal on metal followed and I watched with disbelief as a gigantic pike the length of a large bus clattered harmlessly to the ground. In the Grimms hand lay another nearly identical weapon, with the difference of it being a halberd of similar length and mass. The axe head was multiple feet long, and the massive Grimm held it more like a battle axe. It lowered into a combat stance, gripping the weapon with its right and curled its fingers while holding its left palm up to the sky.

"Did y-you not see it?" Umber was quiet and I shook my head at the question. She decided to enlighten me on the answer. "In that brief moment, the G-Grimm caught the first weapon and used it to parry the second and third weapon away." I glanced down to the shattered half of a spear that had rolled over to us in the attack.

My god…

"Holy shit…" Glynda eyes were as wide as dinner plates, at the show of unusual strength and intelligence. I decided it was best to _move,_ dragging everyone away from the gigantic demon. A flash of light alerted me and a glance back let me see dozens of more portals pop up. Dozens of sharp, well maintained weapons hungered for Grimm blood. At least that was how it felt…to me.

All kinds of weapons…

Spears and halberds…

Poleaxes and lances… Shields, bows, and various swords. A frightening display of the gulf between us and Gilda's skill and power as a fully fledged Huntress. I froze as Gilda shined in a bright gold, as her weapons inched forward. Her equally golden weapons lit up the darkening sky as night approached.

"You dare to encroach on the town under _my_ protection. You must long for a painful death monster." The beast of Grimm snarled and it gestured with its palm as if saying "get to the point."

"I suppose it is time to put you down like the mad dog that you are! There will be nothing left of you, you _disgusting_ mongrel." Gilda sneered and with a wave of her hands, a storm of iron and gold shot out. The wolf braced itself, and _blurred_ shattered the ground below it as it rushed with pike in hand.

 _BOOOM!_

"Shit!" I ducked under a slash of beowolf claws, and with a twist of my hips stabbed through the offending beast. I shoved a fraction of my aura through my weapon and into the wolf, makings it's head explode.

"Watch out!" Taiyang leaped over me, roundhouse kicking an Ursa Minor in the jaw and cracking open its skull. The bear fell dead into the ground with a light splat.

 _SHOOM!_

I flinched as a golden spear zoomed overhead and winched as it made a fleshy impact with the Grimm elder behind us.

We had been unable to get away, because the moment Gilda and the super Beowolf started their fight we got swarm by low level Grimm. That, and Glynda being here was what saved us from being slaughtered. Her telekinesis was a boon, and the sound of surrounding gunfire meant the stronger Grimm were being drawn _away_ from from us. I swear I heard Borr's loud yells and the swing of metal on flesh every few steps.

Okay…focus, there are three Grimm on the left.

Two on the left, one behind.

"No…how how about a…"

 _SNAP!_

 _BOOM!_

Several Grimm fell dead as they received several grams of nitrogen based explosive to the face. The one behind me fell, to a blast of superheated dream, and a lesser Nevermore above me was destroyed by a telekinesis wave. I gave my adoptive sister a look of gratitude. However, I felt something odd when her expresion twisted in horror.

I felt a massive hand pick me, and the world blurred around me as an alpha Beowolf threw me into the direction of the fight. I narrowly avoided a pike to the face, diverting my course with my aura, like what Blake did with that sea dragon Grimm.

I lay still, my head mercifully below the range of where it could _cut_ off. All I could was sit and watch the almost legendary fight unfold…

I watched in awe as the Grimm parried blow after blow with his claws, having long since lost his weapon. Gilda had risen into the air, standing on the top of a surprisingly sturdy telephone pole. The wolf that I had for now decided to deem Fenrir threw an overhead slash with its claws, instantly blocked by a shield. The number of weapons in the air rose into the multiple dozens only just south of a hundred.

"Why won't you DIE!" Gilda seemingly popped out of existence, and I heard a loud _crack_ as she dropped down onto the Grimm's armored forearm like an artillery shell. It howled in pain and brushed her off, snapping its jaws in her general direction.

It held its right arm cradling the cracked piece of bone crumbling away. It spun on its heels, dodging a large Halberd. However it didn't manage to dodge the tens of dozens of arrows strung from countless bows. The arrowheads pierced it's ghoulish flesh making it look like a porcupine. But instead of being angry it held its breath pushing outward.

The air was peppered by a wide barrage of broken arrows acting as a poor man's shrapnel.

"She's really going to bea—." I paused as I noticed how ragged she looked. He semblance was taking its toll on her body and aura. Her aura was flickering, slowly weakening more and more as the fight became more prolonged. Both adversaries were growing weaker, but the Fenrir had the advantage in endurance. Gilda's breath was racing; my ears straining to pick up the sound.

Gilda sighed and with shaking hands summoned up a portal of much greater size. She gave the Grimm a shit eating smile and _fired._

Over a hundred weapons, and hundreds of arrows raced toward the Grimm and in the scuffle I ended up getting knocked behind Gilda. I stood up on shaking knees and my breath was stolen away as the Grimm walked through the weapon storm. It twisted its body in just the right way, blocking the arrows isn't it's thicker bony plates. The monster sneered and in a gory flash tore out one of its own teeth, using it to block various bladed weaponry. I felt fear boil up as the attack grew ever weaker with each step that _thing_ took. Gilda was sweating, her confident facade broken and her smirk now a mere line.

Within a couple of moments the Grimm was standing resolutely over Gilda as she collapsed onto her knees. Her aura had died away completely, all her energy directed into a final desperate attempt. Her eyes looked almost _accepting_ , but also regretful…

N-No please… I can't… I don't…

"S-So this is all I can muster up huh?" Gilda sounded dead in her tone, her head dropping down and her hair blocking my view of her eyes. If I could see then, they would likely look dead…

The Grimm lifted up it doing claws…like the axe of an executioner…

"I'm…so sorry I couldn't be there for you. Glynda…Summer please forgive. I-I love you."

The hand came down…

"NOOOOoo **OOO**!" I let out a scream, my senses fading out and bright flash of light blowing me further.

How did I get here? I grabbed my head, feeling a trickle of blood pore out from a wound. The Fenrir had recoiled and had its eyes narrowed in suspicion as I dropped down to the ground heaving out the remainders of my stomach contents.

"M-Mom?!" I suppressed the confused shock and confliction deep within my soul and glared up at the Grimm. From the corner of my eye, I saw a glimmer of tears in my m-mother's eyes and looked away.

I-I think I have an idea…this Grimm must be an ancient one right? So it knows most of the tricks in the book… silver eyes and top Huntsmen or maybe even maidens…

But does it know about alchemy is the question.

C-Carbon dioxide… Nitrogen…

Oxygen, dihydrogen monoxide(water)

Atmospheric densification…

I grit my teeth as I focused on the alchemical reaction, having never used alchemy on this scale before for combat purposes. At normal air density and distribution, I can generate s-several grams of explosive compounds per cubic meter… I'm going to generate a reaction using… one hundred and fifty cubic meters of air densified to five times normal pressure so…

"M-Mom…you should probably…pick me up once I'm d-done here…" She looked confused until she noticed the lightning being infused into the air.

"N-Now…" I felt the array activate and a small snap followed…

A massive flash of light and heat made impact with my body throwing me back into something soft. There was a brief numbness, until I touched my arms and my lower left cheek. A sensation of burning surged up, and then a twinge in my rib area started up.

I started screaming…the pain was…too

TOO MUCH! I don't w-wanna it…

I ignored the soothing and kind voice of Gilda, my thought process limited to only my own suffering.

I felt numb…there was a glowing light that made me relax comfortably. It was like cool water had been slowly and gently poured onto my body.

It was over…

I faded into a calm and quiet darkness…

Where…am I? The last thing I remember I was…

"Hmm…" A feminine moan alerted me, though I soon realized it was my voice. I opened up my eyes finding myself staring at an unfamiliar ceiling (heh…). I hissed as I felt the tenderness in my muscles and skin. I noticed that most of the pain was on my lower left cheek near my jaw, my forearms, and my ribs. I picked myself up _slowly_ not wanting to hurt myself.

I was sitting on a hospital bed, with one occupied visitors chair. One Gilda Goodwitch, drooling into some weapons magazine. I decided to wake her up with the one word I knew would work.

"Mom?" She didn't stir so I tried again. "Mom…mama?" She didn't wake up despite my loudness. I felt the frustration mount up and tried a third time.

"MOM!" She snapped her head up, ending up shattering a chair with her armored heels thus making me flinch. She let out a searing glare, but the moment she spotted me it softened into relief.

Gah!

"Oh baby you're okay." I let out a frown of discomfort as she pulled me into her chest, my ribs aching in protest.

"Please let go…you're crushing me." Gilda blushed and dropped her arms down and I sighed in relief as the pressure went away. Even so Gilda grabbed my hand with a gentle expression and I wondered why she was looking at me like that.

"How bad has was it?" I don't think I would care too much but…still

"Well, umm you had some burns that will leave some scarring, one broken ribs and two cracked ones. As well as a light concussion and some blood loss, otherwise not too bad." She clapped her hands at the end, noticing her twitching eyebrows. I shook my head at her behavior, and lifted up my arms.

"I need a hug…" She gladly obliged and wrapped her arms around me, my body quivering against her frame. I could she was mad, but it wasn't my fault if those Grimm hadn't… "M-Mom?" She was still angry but didn't interrupt me out of spite. "I didn't…get put there on purpose…I was thrown by some…Grimm"

"I'm not mad at you…just frustrated…" I nodded, placing my chin into the crook of her neck. She was really warm and I needed _some_ comfort after this ordeal.

"Hmm…how many?" She stiffened and I asked her again.

She suppressed a sigh and simply ran her fingers through my hair. "About 15… a good number of good men and women. It could have been so much worse though…luckily we managed to cull an enormous amount of Grimm before hand."

"Everything is going to okay, I promise."

That wasn't true, after a thousand years nothing had changed. The tide had been pushed back but never stopped. Their technology so advanced but it gave them no option of escape, only a respite until the inevitable end.

I wanted to help…in some way.

I was never the greatest person, I had a sense of empathy but it was rarely ever applied on a large scale. I was anti social, abrasive, disillusioned by humanity. But that didn't mean I didn't want to help my species become something _more_ than what they were.

With this power of Alchemy and semblance gifted to me, with the knowledge of my old home world and the knowledge of this one, maybe it would be enough to change everything. But clearly this wouldn't be something I could do alone, it might be cheesy but the whole "Hero" if we all work together thing is _true._ Everything a sapient species has ever built has been based on some level of cooperation, whether between two people, two tribes, or multiple cities and states. That is how humanity survived for so long on a world like this.

Maybe…I could make well you _know,_ a difference.

"What's with that evil look on your face?" I…want to _save_ this world if it's truly possible, not all on my own. I want to change this worlds future and make a better one.

I'm _determined…_

 **Author's Note:**

Oh _yes_ I did make a Fate reference in Gilda, again not my original plan until I saw a video of him online versus Berserker. It just seemed to _fit_ you know? There is a reason she had such a large workshop and a slight obsession with weapons... As for what inspired(what i borrowed) for the idea on aura actually comes from a guy named Sunder the Gold, he doesn't post any stories here anymore but he does have an RWBY blog where he talks about his theories on the inner workings of the Kingdoms, aura, Dust and the Grimm that seem to fit _relatively_ well.

But besides that I was thinking of asking questions from people in the author's note as long as they're not something that may spoil the storyline. Don't have anything else to mention... so until next time!


	5. Early Days Arc: Chapter 5

**Author's Note:**

So... I'm back with a new chapter. I've been working on this one for a while now and am anywhere from midway to one third of the way through with chapter six. Now a heads up the next two chapters will start skipping ahead a bit, then there will be several short sub chapters/Interludes of the calmer moments in between chapters. There will be probably be two or three for each chapter more or less. Past chapter six there should be a few main chapters more before reaching the minimum age for entering Beacon.

Anyways... I hope you follow and please review. I don't own any of Roosterteeth's creations... moving on!

 **Chapter Five: Meeting the The Puppet-maker, a Beacon student, and Puberty**

Wow… My face got kind of messed up by that damn Grimm.

I was staring blatantly at the mirror, grasping the scar on my lower left cheek, a dark red burn mark left behind by the fuel air explosion I had created with my combustion alchemy. The skin there was still a little leathery as well as sensitive, and I winced when my fingers grazed it.

Guess my beautiful face got marred a bit, but it's not too noticeable though. Luckily it didn't scar too bad, it should be nothing more than some slight discoloration in a few months. The burn scars on my arms aren't too bad either, just some permanent red marks. The doctor told me I was lucky to be alive, that if I had been even a few inches closer I would have either died or been permanently crippled or disfigured.

It made me shiver just thinking about how many times I must have come close to death again… But that didn't matter in comparison to what Umber must be suffering after I f— her _dad_ died.

It had taken… How long did it take?

About two weeks for her to be mentally and emotionally stable enough to _seem_ normal. I honestly thought she would give up on becoming a Huntress, but her father's death only seemed to strengthen her resolve.

I actually admired her for bouncing back so quickly, which was why I was following her lead on this. No half-baked Grimm would make me back down.

Which was why I… Br—err Summer Flamel Rose, scientist _extraordinaire_.

AM—

"Are you sure this is safe Summer?" I gave my blond haired cutie of a friend a glare from the corner of my eye as I placed my fully built rocket into a vertical orientation. All the time after I had been cleared to leave the hospital was spent building the final configuration of my four-pound rocket engine. Two hundred and fifty pounds of thrust, reaching up to 17000 feet into the air…

Ready to launch today…

"Yes definitely safe, no chance of a major injury from our our… _little_ test flight." I rubbed my hands together despite Tai's nervous expression. I wasn't going to stop there, feeling a small cackle escape my lips. No one was going to stop me from my dreams of reaching orbit! I just need a bigger rocket, maybe I'll try liquid methane and oxygen next time ala SpaceX and Blue Origin. I had managed to get permission from Ozpin for launch. I didn't want the authorities to have any issues with shooting a rocket 6000 meters into the air.

"So we're ready to go right?" Umber broke in with her finger on the launch button, ready to send off our rocket into a cloud or two. Our little rocket was equipped with a small parachute, a newly built Lithium Iron Phosphate battery using some rusty iron, a couple of old pills, and some manure.

It took a couple dozen tries to stop it from blowing up despite being the most stable rechargeable Lithium ion battery known. But stability is not a substitute for quality, which is _why_ I love my bullshit semblance. Using Structural Analysis to figure out what went wrong and what I needed to adjust in the transmutation. You have no God damn idea how hard it is to get a Lithium battery right. And this was with the stable and cheap material cost of Lifepo4.

"Stand back please." I hid behind a blast shield in case things went terribly wrong, I don't want to be in the middle of an unscheduled disassembly. No supersonic shrapnel for me thank you very much.

I placed on a pair of super cool as well as very well reinforced sunglasses, as the engine rumbled with its hydrocarbon fuel and liquid oxygen oxidizer. I waited anxiously wiggling on my seat as my childish energy rose to the surface once more. But I didn't mind at all, this was a small _fucking_ rocket and I felt proud that we had made it this far.

"3,2,1 Lift Off!" Both Umber and Taiyang shot out from their chairs shouting loudly for everyone to see and hear. The rocket shot off like a… Well a rocket screaming through the sky and becoming a smaller and quieter dot with each each second that passed. I felt my grin widen from ear to ear, and my legs moved back and forth on my chair feeling happy for once.

I waited for around 30 seconds waiting for the alert to ring to tell us that the parachute had deployed. A greater amount of time for an alert gave me a sense of urgency that made my legs shake with anticipation.

Fortunately the alert was only a little late and Gilda was the one to retrieve it since it was going to land near the woods. Close to a half hour later and trudging up from the woods was my rocket towed by Gilda who was wearing a happy and _proud_ expression. I scampered up to her with a small but genuine grin on my face.

"Hi!" Her expression lit up at my enthusiastic greeting and I out of spontaneity formed my hands into a heart shape. Her lips lifted up into a loving smile and she gently placed down the rocket. I leaped into her arms, and Gilda let out an "oomph!" as I collided with her body.

She looked rather amused at my unrest and gave me a quick nuzzle on the nose. I might have been a _little_ too old for that at eleven but… I didn't really care at this point. "You seem rather excitable today Summer, in fact it's quite out of character for you." I gave her a light shrug not disagreeing with her in the slightest. I _was_ in a particular good mood today and it was unlikely that anything could ruin it.

Taiyang had a disturbed look on his head and clicked his tongue in thought. "Yeah it's _really_ creepy." Umber nodded with a serious expression her ears flopping up and down with her head movements. I gave the both of them a betrayed look and my face further soured at the ever-smirkier smirk on Glynda's.

"Yes it is quite odd little sister, quite odd indeed." My sister rubbed her chin _suspiciously,_ her eyes narrowed in thought. I felt a spike of anger and tried to swat her with my left hand. She sidestepped the attack and I felt straight on my face and into an inconspicuous pile of mud. The blonde girl gasped and marched over to me; fussing over the recently made simple black dress they had gotten me three days ago. She cleaned me up with her telekinesis, which was about when the volcano _exploded._

"What the hell Glynda!? Why would you—!" I cut myself off trying to keep my fingers explosive temper in check. I felt a confusing mess of anger, annoyance, and _something_ else. I didn't know how to describe it, almost like I was—

 _OWWW!_

A strong ache piled up in my lower stomach and I pressed my thighs together. My confusion only skyrocketing. There was also a weak scent of blood and—

No…

No no…

Don't you dare…!

Oh God this is _mortifying._ How could I forget that I'm a girl and girls go through things like… _this_ even if only some of the time. I stiffly and awkwardly asked Glynda to come closer whispering so Taiyang couldn't hear. I groaned as another smirk formed on the surprisingly mischievous golden girl.

"I guess you could say…" Glynda had an infuriating shit eating smile I wanted to wipe off with my fists. "You're going through a rough… _period_ of your life." Glynda ended the terrible pun with jazz hands and I was mulling over whether to strangle her or commend her for that terrible, terrible pun. Before she could continue my torment I already figured out the perfect retort.

"Don't think I won't tell mom about what you do with that _thing_ hidden under your dra—mmm" Glynda turned absolutely _scarlet_ and I knew I hit the jackpot on embarrassing secrets.

"Okay okay I'll stop!"

"Well then help me!"

Time started to pass a little faster since that fateful day as we grew ever closer to a future that will never be as it once was.

So…it's been a while since we last talked…whoever may be listening. I _know_ how these stories usually go…so, plus an internal log of my thoughts is necessary. Having a near photographic memory is _rather_ helpful in that endeavour.

Anyway, lots has been going on since then. Only a few short weeks away from being 13 and a few weeks after that before I enter Signal. So I'll be about 13 and one month when I get into the Combat school… the same applies for Taiyang and Umber.

…

…

It's… been difficult to adjust after the Grimm attack and it's left me rather jittery at times. There are still times I think about that day, as well as the night _terrors_ that interrupt my sleep. But outside of that adjusting to going through _female_ puberty once again had actually been the most difficult event for me.

Frankly… puberty sucks balls… Especially with how _stupid_ and borderline moronic every boy other than Tai in this school seems to be, and is one of the reasons I don't wear skirts to that school anymore. Other than skirts just not being my style of course, too short for my own state. I'm okay with dresses though, I've found them surprisingly comfortable and I look _great_ in them. But, I usually wear long shorts and any kind of loose fitting t shirt. Usually of a black, red or white color as well.

As to what I was up to right now… I was working on my _little_ railgun project as well as a greater rocket project right now. Mainly the rails welding shut on a fairly consistent basis. I theorize that it needs an injector to get the projectile to an initial velocity before the acceleration from the rails begins. Too much current to accelerate the round from 0 to over a kilometer per second.

So I've added an Air Dust based gas gun, which turned out to be a very common propellant among the natives because it's a little more efficient than the indirect propulsion of an explosion. So the railgun I'm building will be more a hybrid gun of sorts, with an Air Dust barrel that will accelerate a round to 1000 meters per second. Another change was in the rail material to a better Copper alloy that's been treated with Dust to become _superconductive_ at room temperature. Total bullshit but who am I to deny myself the wonderful gifts of Remnant technology. Which is why I hope they figure out how to work on the technology off planet, because frankly their tech _is_ better. They just need some _small_ adjustments to be even better, and I think I _might_ be able to help.

"So…" I felt my eyebrows twitch as Taiyang found a position on my left as I learned my arms against the desk where my _project_ lay. He had been acting rather… _odd_ you could say using me as "test dummy"

"What's cooking good looking." He snapped his fingers ending his little _something_ with finger guns pointed at me. I flicked him on the nose making him yelp and lean a few inches back. I shook my head at him and he pouted dejectedly at my painful response.

"Too cheesy… They might just think you're a dork _but_ if they're the type then maybe. Still don't _why_ you're asking me… I might be a girl but I'm not a reliable source of information on what they think."

Taiyang had started to develop an interest in girls and had started to flirt with me to see what I thought. The dork thought _I_ would know what to tell him… He was wrong of course, the only advice I could give him was to be himself, don't try to be fake etc etc. Present your best side sure… But if you date someone you should be willing to show the side of you that is more… vulnerable or imperfect. Deceiving someone and making them think you're someone you're not will tend to end… poorly.

"Also, let me get back to my work dork, I need to get this done." He nodded and moved away from my desk, practicing a specialized form of Air Alchemy to form sonic shockwaves.

He had discovered his semblance when those Grimm had separated us. He had the power to generate a fiery glowing sonic roar capable of mass amounts of damage, at least comparable to a Hunter's firearm if not even more powerful. He's called it Lion's Roar but I've had fun with calling him Dovahkiin, and the confused face he makes when I call him that is priceless.

Okay the rails are done; I've got the Lightning Dust in the right spot, the Wind Dust too. So the prototype is essentially complete, it's of moderate size as well. The total barrel length is about 24 inches shared evenly between the two sections of the gun. The special round I've made for the gun is a tungsten alloy core with an aluminum alloy armature. With the current upgraded components the round should reach about 3000 or even 4000 meters per second.

Hmm…let's see here with some _analysis_ , okay need to add three screws here…don't want the rails to fly apart. Ooo…there's a tiny imperceptible Crack in the copper here, let's… Fix that with some Earth alchemy.

Careful with analysing that Dust, don't want a headache now…

For whatever strange reason, attempting to use my semblance on Dust gives me a raging migraine. I can use my semblance on it, but for now at least it's limited to checking for minor structural imperfections or what _kind_ of Dust it was, as well as the mixture ratio. But I believe it's time to start the test for this _magnificent_ weapon/scientific tool of mine.

Hmm…I wonder what would happen if I smashed two pieces of Dust at near the speed of light.

Heh, heh, heh…time for mass acceleration!

 _BOOM!_

"Fuck yeah…" I couldn't help but celebrate under my breath as the 10 gram projectile left a blazing trail of plasma impacting on a weak Energy Dust based shield.

Oh yeah… I also learned a fair bit of the various types of Dust as well. Energy Dust as an example is a combination of two different Dust mixes. Thunder(plasma) dust which when it is used the crystalline material will generate clouds of high energy gas and is made from Blitz(Lightning) and Breeze(Air) Dust. This makes up the majority of the material, while the other 5% to 30% is Gravity(Crush) Dust made of Blitz and Block(Earth) Dust.

For whatever reason a combination of those dusts creates a hyper dense power source with energy density intermediate between nuclear fusion and fission depending on the amount of Gravity Dust used. It can be used in at least two different ways, either as an energy shield ala Halo or as a power source. The properties of Gravity make it so the plasma forms a solid light barrier of sorts. Or it can be detonated into a powerful explosion of plasma and electricity.

Now it isn't uncommon for Thunder Dust to have some gravity Dust mixed in so they can be used like missiles. A lot like Covenant plasma weapons in fact…

I'm actually really thankful for what I've managed to learn once Umber and I joined the school engineering club. There's really a lot to learn there, and being hands on with Remnant technology has helped a lot even if I didn't originally want to go. I have to thank Gilda for that, having _some_ friends is better than having none. I was never very confident with joining any of the combat-sports teams but the engineering competitions were…fun.

Though I suspect that may be one reason why I'm rather lacking in skill in comparison to either of my friends. But even then private spars with them are oddly fun and fulfilling even if I don't win. I haven't managed to best any of them but I'm getting close I'm sure. I still need to figure out my fighting style. It's definitely not anywhere up close though, I don't like getting within more than five feet of another person if I don't have to.

Fight from long distances and a railgun huh…

"Salutations my friend! A positively _fascinating_ design. Did you build this?" I was startled out my musing as a red headed scientist took Taiyang's former seat.

Right… I had forgotten that Mom had a guest from Atlas, some young scientist whose started making waves in the community. He was a young Dr. Light esque looking fellow. The taller male was a bit dark skinned and a little chubby but there was a hint of _some_ level of power within him so there was no reason to count him out just yet.

Besides that he was a man of average height, with a wide nose and very kind looking eyes that were currently filled to the brim with curiosity. I was similarly curious on who he was but didn't really care too much to ask at the time, but that didn't mean I wouldn't answer him.

"An electromagnetically propelled gun. It functions by injecting a massive amount of electricity into the rails turning them into electromagnets. The two rails proceed to form an electric circuit with the conductive armature that serves as the sabot for the actual round. The generated magnetic fields will push _out_ the round at huge velocities with enough voltage and current." The man nodded respectively and he looked approving of other things I had tinkered with.

A very simple wheeled robot I had copied from some old files… A quaint little thing really just two floors of plastic where the components on the machine sat. Some outdated electronics from ten years ago and a small alchemically created Lithium-ion battery. It was basically an arduino robot where I had simply followed the instructions that could be followed. Main issue was the software though since they didn't have C+ in this universe.

The funny thing was…their programming is actually _total_ shit, decades behind us in _some_ aspects. Overly bloated software, poor search engine, no social media but that last one might be a plus instead of a negative. They've pretty much done everything through pure brute force and willpower and their software hasn't quite kept up with them. Basically a lot like back on earth but multiplied…at least for now.

But frankly the only thing they need is the use of deep learning and they should be fine. I pointed him to his object of curiosity realizing I had paused too long. "It's a very simple robotic machine that can find its way indoors with some simple process programming. It's kind of bad at it though…" I still remembered the time it ended up tripping Taiyang. Having someone like 30 pounds heavier fall on top of you is rather painful. Still guess it was better than all the aches I've been feeling lately… goddamn growth spurt, I didn't think I would be annoyed with growing four inches but I am…

 _GAHH!_

I stuttered as the doctor turned me over to shake my hand vigorously, engulfing my small hand into his large ones. He was being rather enthusiastic a-about meeting me!

"It is nice to meet a young lady interested in science and engineering! I hope you continue with your interests in the future!" I nodded with a hint of hesitation and he let his hand go. "And what is that?" I tilted my head to my more _recent_ rocket design and some notes I had written on a few _theories_ of mine. I pretty much was just stealing some of SpaceX's early rocket revisions and replicating some of their technology.

"Oh that is a design for a turbo pump as well as some notes on some stuff…" I felt my hands turn clammy feeling strangely anxious to see what he thought. Though admittingly the turbo pump had actually been built by _Umber,_ she had a better eye for this kind of stuff, with my semblance the only reason I edge out above her. The funny thing is that she commonly uses me as a set of talking lab equipment for _obvious_ reasons.

"Hmm what are those notes about?" I let him grab the messy set of legible scribbles curious on what he would think. He hummed and there was a spark of an idea within his eyes as he read the title. I scooted over so I could lean over his shoulder which I could now _just_ reach with my height of five feet and half.

"Hmm… What an odd hypothesis you have made? Can you explain it for me? While I can read this on my own, I would like to know the thought process on coming up with it." I nodded and gestured for the paper, knowing it would help with jogging my memory. The scientist nodded and I held the notes tight…

"Of course now let's see here… Ahh my hypothesis on the Non Functionality of Aura in Space. Well it all started when I read some old studies on the failed Atlas space program and the experiments performed."

"Of course and with your basic knowledge of this 'Chemistry' based rocketry you wanted to learn more about the Dust based form." I gave him a small smile in response. Whoever he was, he was a nice guy really, willing to listen to a kids inane rambling.

"Pretty much… My first thought was that Dust might need an atmosphere to function much like a fuel needs an oxidizer to work in space. The studies informed me that had already been attempted and failed. So I came up with a different idea… based on some studies on how Dust power fades with altitude. It made me think that _perhaps_ there's some kind of energy that allows Dust to work."

His eyes widened as he glanced at a crude picture, a stick figure surrounded by aura and a mostly accurate depiction of Remnant with a similar field, growing progressively weaker indicated by lines until becoming non existent at around 114 kilometers.

"You believe the key could be aura itself? Well there have been some rumors…" He trailed off muttering excitedly to himself. My eye widened and I scooted over eager to hear about any possible Atlas rumors. The young man seemed almost nervous though a brief smile from me seemed to calm his nerves.

"Ah…yes there were apparently some experiments on using aura to activate Dust to see if anything could happen. The reports are long since gone, though I found some sections that indicate a larger quantity of aura would be enough to keep Dust functional."

Oh my God yes! That would be… But why do I hear a but?

"But before there was any further experimentation their funding was cut and all the regained budget was placed into the CCT network project." Goddammit… Without that report I don't have a clue on where to even begin. The doctor looked equally disappointed and leaned against the chair.

"So besides that _depressing_ information is there anything else you can tell me about this theory of yours."

I gave him a nod. "Not too much, mainly I want to ask…do some Hunter weapons still have aura even without their users nearby?". Because if they did it would make things _much_ easier.

"I…yes actually but why—oh my. That would be a breakthrough, are you thinking of creating an _aura_ battery or field generator of some sorts." I shrugged; I didn't have the right background to make a marvel like that. The pudgy professor muttered under his breath with a mild excitement until a call interrupted us. He moved away to have a more private conversation.

"Hmm…yes excellent this will be…" The rest became unintelligible and I clicked my heels together waiting patiently for him to finish his scroll call. A minute after the Atlesian hung up, and turned back to me with a smile.

"It has been nice meeting you child I…" I gestured to a book before he could say anything else. I wasn't sure whether or not this whim of mine was a good idea, but my _gut_ was telling me this would end well. I passed on a book on Neural Networks and a book on Rocketry. He looked touched by the gesture and thanked me with a small bow of his head.

Not like he was the first to get a translated book. Ozpin and I had been gradually translating the digitally stored texts onto paper and publishing them under an anonymous name. I feel like I should feel bad for stealing the works of others _but_ I don't. There'd so much good that could be done with our combined knowledge.

"Thank you for the gift young lady." Again no need to thank me for this, I have like ten other copies. My grin dropped as he turned around to leave and I managed to stop him just short of the exit.

"H-Hey I never got your name mister." He stopped and opened the door taking as jungle step outside. The older man tilted his eye to face me and his grin widened immensely, it's shine practically blinding.

"My name is Geppetto Polendina." I felt my mind scramble back at the name, but the friendly young adult didn't seem to notice. I mumbled my name back and he waved goodbye shutting the door and leaving me all alone.

…

…

So…that just happened…

Did I just help Penny exist by accident?

Well… "Ahhh." A yawn was released and I felt a wave of tiredness come on.

Oh who cares I _need a_ nap…

This has been a really weird day…

"I guess…this is it then?"

Glynda and I were now at an impasse, there was only another two weeks before she would finally go off to Beacon. The aforementioned Huntress trainee gave me an almost sad if accepting smile. I was happy for her…she had gotten her application accepted, and passed her entry test. A mix of physical combat and showing off of their skills. Much like that one fanfiction…Calamity something…

But…it would be awfully empty without her around to take care of things. Oh God I'm going to have to cook my own food don't I? Letting Gilda cook would _definitely_ lead to food poisoning. If I'm going to get killed it won't be by food poisoning of all things.

I was snapped out my thoughts when an amused Glynda wracked her knuckles against my forehead.

"I'll be fine you little troublemaker. You're a real _thorn_ in my side you know." I snorted, wondering how she became the hardass deputy of Professor Ozpin.

"Yeah, yeah I _know_ , Professor." I noticed a twitch from her eyebrow and smirked. For whatever reason she seemed to like me calling her that. Maybe it reminded her of Gilda and she either liked it or didn't. "Now, how am I going to not starve? You and I both know the Golden women in the other room can't cook for Jack shit."

Her lips twitched into a brief smile at my statement and gave me a pat on the head. "I suppose you'll have to cook for yourself now little sister."

"I hate you…" I slumped into a chair and and took in the details of the room. We had actually been allowed to visit Beacon for a while. But right now we were waiting for Ozpin to actually show up. It was an office much like Ozpin's if less luxurious and smaller, with severa ahem… _phallic_ chairs evenly set apart. There was a bookshelf on my left, and I took out a book from it.

"I…I'm happy for you…it's…I'm going to miss you." I yelped as the blonde girl picked me and I felt heat flow into my cheeks as she trapped me between her… _sizable_ assets. I struggled out of her hold until I could breath, placing my chin in the crook of her neck.

"I'll miss you too…" Hard to pay attention to such a heart(chest)full reply while drowning in… _mammary_ glands.

"Why did you have to almost _kill_ me to say that." There was momentary lapse in her facial language, befuddlement in her eyes. Her eyes peered downward and her eyebrows snapped together, a hot blush on her face.

"Oh gods I'm so sorry! I didn't mean to…why are you still staring at my chest." I didn't meet her eye, not having a word to say. This time it was my turn to be confused as a wide smirk appeared on her face.

"~Ohh I know what's going on~" and _I_ don't like that look on your face Witch. Glynda put me down, and I defensively hugged the book to my stomach, still unsure of where she was going with this.

The girl gave me a knowing smile and poked my forehead. You're _jealous_!"

"What?" She didn't waver for even a moment and just kept talking!

"I remember having the same issues when I was your age you know." I cringed as I hoped to God, Oum, and the brothers…just _someone_ to make her stop before she reached the point of no return.

Wait…I know _exactly_ what to do!

 _SNAP!_

"MHHMP!" I created a clean metal plate and placed it over Glynda's mouth keeping any such content _away_ from my ears, too much information for me to know. She pushed me off removing the obstruction from her mouth with a twitching vein nearly popping out.

Before she could say anything I decided to clarify. "That was not why I was blushing you crazy witch!"

An awkward silence followed and I sat on my chair scratching my head with my left hand. I used my right to run it through my silky soft bangs, and despite the embarrassing situation. Fond memories of our time together still _rose_ to the surface regardless.

I felt a little mirth, remembering that the only reason my hair was as clean as it was, was due to Glynda's intervention. Being that I was male…and an unkempt one at that, maintaining my condition wasn't exactly a well-polished skill. The second she had the chance; she sat me down teaching me all the basic necessity. She and mom didn't push me too far thankfully, there are certain aspects of girls I'm not interested in.

Makeup mostly, but thankfully neither of them actually applied much if any makeup at all. Aura has some rather interesting effects on the human body…less health issues, longer lifespan…

If you weren't killed by a Grimm I mean. I tilted my head as a muffled conversation took place just outside our door.

"I guess this is goodbye at least for now." Glynda grabbed my wrists at my statement

"Come on you'll see me during break remember?" I nodded and focused my eyes on the door. "Just once I go…you still have all your chores to do."

Dammit Glynda!

"Remember to brush your teeth three times day, a daily 10 minute shower. You're the new cook around the house so _be_ prepared!" The moment was gone sis. "Brush your hair, use the cleaning products I've shown you. Remember to put on your pa—"

 _And_ I'm tuning you out, bye bye big sister. Sheesh… She's a rather bossy little lady isn't she? Hmm…noticed based on their voices that Ozpin wasn't there, only an unknown voice of whoever teaches at this school.

I tapped into my semblance curious to see if I could extend my range to them.

…

Nope only 6.5 meters…damn but getting better still. I _know_ I haven't reached the bottom of what this semblance can do. But give it time; I've got another four years before I have to worry about that anyway. Now the real question I have right now.

Where is our little wizard of Oz?

Footsteps echoed in a cavern deep below the school that had trained the protectors of mankind for over fifty years. The tap of a cane could be heard as well as a _certain_ dark haired Headmaster walked through the empty halls of the cavern. The ancient wizard's eyes gleamed as he stopped short of a large door. He pressed his hands against the door with familiarity but left the heavy entrance alone. He let out a breath as the heavy pressure of ancient magic wafted from inside the sealed room. He turned away from the gateway and tapp his cane in an almost impatient fashion.

Ozpin had nothing to do in this room, only taking a stroll to this long forgotten place out of a mere whim. The man sighed as the toll of overwork finally demanded its payment. The Headmaster had been working nearly non stop since he had found the strange Silver Eyes child and those books containing knowledge long lost to even him.

 _'_ _That child is odd…but I can tell that she simply wants to help others if in her own way.'_ He smiled lightly, glad that he had found the child when he did, he didn't want to think about what would have happened if he failed. He felt the weight of what the young girl called an "Array Book" a text that illustrated dozens of arrays explaining what each did and what their symbols meant.

"Well it seems we will be living in interesting times Miss Rose. But… I still wonder where your parents derived that _secret_ knowledge? How did they know what was coming to the mountain?" Ozpin shook his head, quietly scanning a letter from Doctor Polendina asking if he knew anything about the long defunct Atlesian space Program.

The cavern twinkled with an unnatural rainbow light and the wizard gave off a hearty chuckle.

"I truly hope that this new path is the right one…"

 **Author's Note:**

I hope the sections involving female...biology weren't too weird. I doubt there will be much mention of it for now likely due to Summer's own discomfort and general awkwardness. It helps that Remnant seems to lack a lot of the biases that plague Earth humanity.


	6. Interlude 5-1

**Author's Note:**

Okay I said I was going to start making Interludes and I did. Welcome to 5.1! The Interludes will serve as some greater world building for my story since while Summer is the primary narrator, the world is much, _much_ bigger than she is. These will be a little more experimental though not excessively so. Most will be in third person, while a few rare ones will be in First. Some might be documents or codexes of sorts though I might just tack those on to the end of main chapters. They will be between 1 and 4 thousand words, shorter than the main chapters which will be in the range of 5 to maybe 15 thousand words. Also I rarely due this due to a usual lack of feedback, but the one person who had reviewed I have to thank for giving me ideas on the way I want to go with this story. It's been a big help and I hope you keep doing so.

Anyway please follow and review so I can get even more feedback and make some needed improvements for anything I might not catch. Disclaimer or whatever don't own Roosterteeth properties...

* * *

 **Interlude 5-1 : A Murder of Qrows and a Conspiracy of Ravens**

"Raven are you sure this is a good idea? I know our 'glorious' leader approved of this. But I'm not sure it's safe to be this close to a town this big."

A scraggly and no yet fully grown voice questioned a young women as they stealthily walked among the crowd of civilians. She was a young raven haired women of 13 years of age. One Raven Branwen shook her head at her twin brothers question but did maintain a wary eye for any suspicious activity that could trouble. She was a teenager of tall stature and despite her age was easily as tall as an adult man at 5'9 though her scrawny body and feminine figure revealed the truth. Her black hair was messy and long barely contained into a rough ponytail by a flower shaped clip.

Her heart shaped face contorted as she looked around her, her crimson eyes scanning while tapping her covered feet against the sidewalk. She was wearing a tattered red and black blouse paired with with a newer black skirt with squiggly white patterns at the bottom of the knee low article. Raven also had a pair of black leggings and high boots to protect her from the intense cold of the winter.

Her brother on the other hand was _far_ shorter despite being twins, though Raven knew he would soon catch up. He was about 5'4 in height and lanky, though a closer look forward would show the muscle underneath. He was wearing a black and light grey t shirt with black pants and boots. He was rather pale like his sister though it was tempered by a _very_ light tan. His hair stuck up due to poor styling choices or at least…that was what Raven believed.

"Don't be ridiculous Qrow…most of these fools are weak and fat after years of doing _nothing._ We onto have to worry about Huntsmen and they aren't going to go after a bunch of _harmless_ kids."

' _There's no reason to worry…'_ Raven thought to herself, barely stopping herself from gripping the hidden knife in her clothes. She would not let some random weakling take her, or her brother down so easily. Raven stiffened as she felt a surge of power and aura from her left. She pressed her hand against his chest to stop him from moving.

Raven gritted her teeth, and kept her distance from a heavily armored women walking casually in the streets of the small but well defended town. A golden armored and golden haired beauty of a women.

Next to her, a smaller cloaked figure excitedly followed her, their face hidden away by their clothing. There was a constant chattering from what Raven suspected was a girl based on the pitch and the subtle feminine figure.

"That scientist was pretty nice actually…we talked about my hypothesis for a few minutes and I showed him the prototype arma electromagnètico."

Raven narrowed her eyes at the odd statement and prepared to follow up on it, despite her common sense screaming in her ear.

"Why are you calling it that?" Raven stepped forward…

"Because it sounds _cooler!_ " Raven stepped back…

' _Why do I even have to bother?'_

Raven dragged her brother away from the group of two seeing no reason to take a further interest in them. Her brother suddenly flinched and she knew to get out of the way. Her eye followed a card game from the window of a local pub and she moved away as one of the players roared in anger. He grabbed a scrawny winning player and threw him through the window. In the process a conspicuous sack of marbles leapt free from their confinement, and Raven only narrowly avoided the little balls of polished stone.

She only watched with a near sadistic mirth as dozens of them dropped down to the feet of the strange girl from before. As the cloaked teenager took a step…a single marble slid into the path of her foot…

"WAHHH!" Raven stifled a giggle as the girl fell with her arms waving in circles trying to keep what little balance she had left. She failed…

 _SMACK!_

"HIJO DE PUTA!" Qrow tilted his head at the odd and meaningless word and she agreed with her twin.

" _Still a weirdo. But we should keep our distance from that Huntsmen. She might not hurt us, but if she followed us back to the tribe… It would not end well for any of us.'_

"Stupid bad luck…going to make it pay... _somehow._ " Raven rolled her eyes at the girls odd reply and she took her brother out of the sight of the lone Huntsmen and her apparent charge.

Raven didn't know much about this town and she didn't particularly want to. They had only gone here as a "break" and to scout out some of the defenses. It didn't take long for her to conclude that attempting to assault this town would result in a painful death.

Raven knew there was now a more extensive defense grid of guns and small cannons placed in a gradually elevated grid around the growing town. The town had had also added some type of sensor system that would alert the town of a possible attack. Theoretically they could be destroyed if they didn't number in the dozens, and were placed somewhere obvious.

"We should leave…"

Qrow protested the action. "Come on Rae I thought we were going to see the sights." She rolled her eyes at her brothers whining knowing he didn't want to be here in the first place.

"Fine! Where do you want to go?"

Raven didn't like the look on her brothers face…

* * *

' _I hate my brother…sooo much! When I get home I'm going to whoop his scrawny ass!'_ Raven screamed internally as her twin poked and prodded around the large home belonging to a certain Huntsmen. Her brother had heard numerous rumours on the odd going on in the area around the nearly middle aged women's home.

So he decided it was a good idea to trespass on private property to take a look around. She had no idea where the hell he got the balls after his initial nervousness at even coming near here. They hadn't found much other than a vacant home and several heavily fortified secondary buildings. Raven frowned as she took notice of the many odd scars and craters left across a training yard.

Parts of the ground were melted, burned or had been lifted out of the ground by an odd force. She had even ripped out a large metal pole that had seemingly melted out from the ground. Some close analysis told her the metal was of incredible quality and unlike anything she had ever seen before. The only guess she had was that someone was practicing a very diverse and powerful molecular manipulation semblance. It wasn't unheard of but on this scale…

She placed the pole on a strap on her back for safekeeping…

Just as her brothers grubby hands reached for the door of one of the locked sheds, heavy footsteps nearly froze Raven to the ground. She _leaped_ to her brothers side pulling him away from the door. But just as the two of them prepped to run, a light cough stopped them in their tracks.

The armored women was staring at them with an amused half smirk. Her left foot was tapping the ground while her arms were crossed over her chest. Ravens gaze lingered at the area for slightly longer than appropriate for she managed to tear her eyes away from the view. There was no sight of the other girl though a subtle told toward the house told her that the girl was snoring away on a bed.

Raven opened her mouth hoping she could talk her way out of this.

"Uhhh, puh, puhp, no explanations are required here." Her hopes were dashed with a single sentence and she awaited a possible punishment for their trespassing.

Her thoughts were derailed further…

"You must of been curious about this house huh? You wouldn't be the first but you're definitely the only ones who had the guts to come up here." Raven was left confused at the women warriors response and spoke up uncharacteristically.

"You're…not going to punish us?" Qrows eyes flickered over to Raven, and she realized her mistake. The women frowned at the response but shook her head.

"I doubt you meant any harm, and if you did well there isn't much you could against me."

Raven had to agree with the sentiment, even with her brothers semblance, this women would pick the two of them apart with ease. She could destroy the _entire_ tribe as she pleased if she felt in the right mood for it.

"Hey, any of you want a quick bite before you go? The two of you look like you need a good meal." Raven gave the home a weary look and the women quickly caught on and made a wide gesture with her hand. " But, if you don't want to come in I can heat something up to go."

 _GRR!_

Raven turned scarlet as her stomach rumbled and Qrow gave her a pleading look as his rumbled in response. She ended up caving and gave the women a nod. The motherly Huntress _beamed_ and disappeared into the house.

She flinched as odd sounds emerged from the house, some curses could be heard too. ' _What is going on back there?'_

The Huntress returned with two bowls of what looked like some type of noodle? Raven squinted as the warm bowl was placed in her hand. The bowl had a plastic fork, and the noodles were covered in some type of tomato based sauce, plus bits of vegetables including kale. A smacking of lips told her Qrow had already started filling his bottomless stomach.

"T-Thank you… " The women smiled and she pulled out…some Lien? Raven found her fingers protectively curling around the sizable amount of money. She hid it way from prying eyes and sticky fingers, and she barely stopped her lips from rising up into a grateful smile.

"Any time…" Raven regrettably had to leave and gently tapped Qrow, telling him it was time to go.

"Hey," Raven stopped holding the bowl close to her chest, waiting for the other shoe to drop. "My name is Gilda! It was nice meeting you even if ong for minute. One day maybe I can introduce you to my kid!"

Raven was confused and felt a stab of fear in her heart not understanding the a aura users unfaltering kindness.

"It's…Raven."

She fled quickly with her brother close on her heels. The bandit didn't know what to make of it…so she simply buried it away in her mind.

But now…it was time to go home.

* * *

"Oh you got some good loot from that town huh?" Raven absently nodded to one of the more anonymous members who she couldn't even remember the name of. The raven themed girl had been staring at the 1500 Lien she had been gifted by the Huntress. There was no evidence of tampering of any kind, and no traces of some type of tracer so she was safe. She had given the bowl away as an additional utensil for the tribe, but was allowed to keep the Lien for future use. Her information proved vital and the tribe returned to the wild lands of Vacuo. She had warned them of the heavy fortifications as well as the numerous heavy hitters defending the town. Especially as it became home to various refugees from the fallen city of Mount Glenn.

She ignored her bandit companion who quickly scoffed and left her side to talk with a more willing person. Her brother gave her a look of concern but she ignored him as well caught up in her own thoughts.

' _I don't understand…why? Just why?'_ Her voice was only a whisper as she followed the sun as it dropped below the horizon.

"Why was she being so nice to me?"


	7. Interlude 5-2

**Author's Note:**

Surprise! There are actually two Interludes instead of only one... This one will focus more on the scientific innovations occurring as we approach this altered timelines equivalent of RWBY. Eventually everything will become unrecognizable, though fortunately with the length of this pic and Volume 6 on the way I might be able to keep some things semi canon, ignoring the differences with Alchemy which will get its own set of Interludes after Chapter Six is released...within a week or so? Anyways this will go into greater detail about aura and Dust, though the specifics will be elaborated into future sections over many, many Interludes. Most of this won't come into fruition for years instory but there will be a pay off eventually. Anyway review and follow...

* * *

 **Interlude 5-2 : Atlesian Aura Science 1**

"Doc, how are your little experiments going?"

Doctor Polendina was startled out of his thoughts as one of his fellow colleagues patted his left shoulder. He brushed it off and his eyes refocused onto his fellow scientist. A young women of very rare faunus origin, she was one of the few scientists who decided to remain in the faunus-hostile kingdom of Atlas. She was a rather thin and short women, a head shorter than her fellow knowledge seeker. Her brilliant green eyes and bright set of red hair didn't distract from the well kept fox tail wagging in excitement.

The two had been working together on some new experiments but the faunus had to make a week long leave due to a family event. So he had been forced to work alone much to his chagrin, much enjoying the company of the women. Especially since the other lab worked had _far_ less common sense than she did.

He scoffed at their sheer stupidity, the book they had gone through explicitly mentioned the high explosiveness, toxicity, and carcinogenic properties of some of the chemical based rocket fuels Atlas was jointly developing with Vale. Just as single mention of the Devil's venom was enough to give him an aneurysm. Geppetto decided to alleviate her concern by replying.

"Oh don't even get me started Dr. Kitsune! Our fellow workers are _morons,_ they keep synthesizing and attempting to make use of fuels and oxidizer I've deemed clearly obsolete fuels based on the impracticality and general issues with the handling and safety!" Her tail and went still and her palm met her forehead within ten seconds of his frustrated statement.

"Ohh _gods_ what did they do?" Her face had turned pale at his response and he slumped against his leather chair. The doctor pinched the bridge of his nose and sighed.

"They tried to use Chlorine trifluoride and 1-diaza—mmm" She covered his mouth not needing any more of his _terrifying_ elaboration.

"That is…more than enough information. God damn those brain dead idiots…." She covered her mouth, but her eyes suddenly lot up as she took a look of an incomplete set of code. She approached it with an excited fervor, her tail bushing a against the brim of his pants. Polendina felt hot at the collar and loosened up his coat as the short women leaned against his table. She turned to face him with a twinkle in her eye. "What exactly is this? The new project you're working on?" He nodded and cleared his throat ready to speak.

"Indeed," His eyes had a difficult time meeting the bright and happy eyes of the faunus. "I've decided to advance a technology called neural networks. A method of simulating _some_ of the properties of the brain. They can learn take by being fed a _massive_ amount of data. That includes things like image recognition, speech recognition, as well as various other applications like remotely flying aircraft."

"Don't we already have that?" The man shook his head at her response. She personally specialized in Dust as well as aerospace engineering as well as though the last part was considered relatively new, until the reintroduction of the semi secret space program. It was in fact the main reason that Vale and Atlas were working together on this.

Vale's location near the equator made it a prime spot for rocket launches, being more stable than the other resident kingdom of Sanus only added it to the appeal. But he was going on a tangent, he needed to focus on the current conversation with his close friend.

"Of sorts yes, but it remains very primitive and in almost all vessels is still manually flown. We could make a quantum leap with this technology and would help with simulation for the rocket program as well." Her eyes widened, and her smile became rather sweet.

"Oh _really?_ " He grumbled as the young women gently and sensually brushed her hands against his chest and wrapped her soft tail around his waist. "Do you plan to help little old me with my program? I could _really_ use _your_ help." She tapped a finger against his nose, and her smile became more _alluring._

He really didn't want to deal with her shenanigans…

 _RING!_

Saved by the bell…

The doctor backed up from the disappointed female, and his grimace softened into a small smile. He spoke quietly into the fun while the wily fox sulked away in the corner. Her tail twitched as she discreetly listened in on the phone conversation. After a few minutes of talking he finally hung up and the young women despondently turned away.

"Girlfriend of some sort." The bitter tone of the scientist made the Atlassian male flinch though it contorted into a face of disgust as her comment registered.

" _God_ no! It's just a call from the girl old Gilda adopted!" There was a small sign of hope in her eyes. "She's a rather bright child and she's how I came upon those books I've acquired for study." Kaneru blanched and frantically apologized to her senior of one year.

"Wait…" Her bowing stopped as _his_ statement registered in her mind "How exactly does a _13_ year old have books on a science that didn't exist before now."

"Well, her _parents_ were residents of _that_ settlement on the continent of Dracos." Her eyebrows would have lifted up into space if they could as she thought of that place, and the horrible events that took place there.

"What happened there…was terrible." Her eyes looked haunted, having seen the bits and pieces of footage that escaped the destruction of the largest settlement on the near empty continent. The countless people slaughtered, their screams of agony as they torn apart by hordes of monstrous demons…

"Indeed my fr—"

 _BOOM!_

Both scientist flushed with anger as an explosion rocked the mountain built laboratory. They rushed over, their lab coats fluttering in the breeze.

One corner was passed on the left, then on the right, and one more on the left. Both scientists gritted their teeth but suppressed their fury, at the confused and slightly singed visitor lying in a battered heap on the lab floor. A single carbonized tree collapsed into a pile of useless ash just as they took a single step.

' _What the hell did they…?'_ His walking slowed as he noticed a faint glow of something within the ash. Kaneru was the first to react and she seems to _blur_ as she leaped into action. She carefully sifted through the ash, quickly dirtying her clothes in the dead plant mass. Doctor Polendina roughly grabbed the apparent student by the scruff of his neck, but patted away the ash on his clothes. The fox women pulled out a crystal…

"Oh…oh dear…" The programming and aura expert took a step back, his awe taking control of his movements. He had never seen such a thing happen before…only rumors…

"What did you do?" The boy, a twenty year old Atlas academy student who was visiting from Beacon for some sanctioned tests blinked and took a deep breath.

"The…hmm scientists were testing your theory on the…origins of Dust…" The faunus women steadied the woozy student and asked for him to continue.

Geppetto remembered finding the theory brilliant…if it could only be tested. The fox believe that Dust may originate _from_ aura, likely that of millions of plants and animals over hundreds of years. First an aura would break down but not disappear completely. It would form into clouds and rivers of wandering aura gradually crystalizing over long periods of time and forming deposits of Dust.

Her main reason for hypothesizing the idea was the numerous documented incidents that occurred known only as an Aura Cascade. Often preceded by or even causing massive Grimm incursions. Essentially massive bursts of aura would erupt from the ecosystem, acting like massive beacons for Grimm.

In all documented incidents where the Aura Cascade began before or during a Grimm attack. Enormous deposits of Dust were discovered during the battle and used to fight off the prowlers of the night. Most of the time they were however dismissed by the scientific community as false tales told by rattled villagers. Aura Cascades are _known_ to happen but on incredibly small scales, maybe one or two meters across. No signs of Dust were ever found…

"What else man. Can you speak?" He _needed_ to know more.

"Y-Yes…ahem yes sir. They decided to…modify the recently developed aura sensors for our scroll you see. They knew that there was always a great deal of interference from outside sources." The Huntsman student coughed and Kitsune passed him a bottle of water eager to know more.

"So they redesigned it to sense those interferences, still ignoring some of the more mundane sources of interference like EM or heat. They found it…a massive field of aura, natural energy that permeates Remnant's atmosphere. They found areas of greater density around cities, towns, forests and jungles. Clouds of it…clouds of _aura!_ "

The young man was in complete shock and awe and barely coherent due to the explosion but a slap on the face woke him up. "They noticed that there was a condensing cloud of aura around the tree brought in for the experiment and they asked me to inject my aura into a crystal, as they directed the cloud into it at the same time hoping it would have an effect. But… then they decided to set in on fire to see if it would do anything." There was a grumble of "dumbasses" under his breath at that.

"Hmm… I think this counts for a celebration." The other lab hands perked up until he gave them a thumbs down. "For _us_ I mean, you almost killed a future Huntsmen with your lack of common sense. Please take him to the infirmary."

They all sulked but complied with his order, moving him with tenderness not wanting to anger the lead scientists further. There was a odd "hmmph" from his female friend and she picked up a few pieces of of glowing quartz crystal. Unlike the Fire Dust, they were all clear and did not seem to exhibit the properties of any known Dust types. She waved her Scroll over the clear crystal and her tail became completely stiff, the oddest body movement he had seen from her yet.

"Those dumbasses really did it… three fucking months of dead ends and failed experiments…and we found the key by complete accident." She waved him over and he felt complete glee and elation as the electronic device sensed a strong aura emanating from the stable crystal. He reached for it but his colleague kept it from his reach with a smile. The mid 20s age faunus women sauntered over to a lab table. She grabbed various lab tools after placing on the appropriate personnel protection equipment.

"Kit what are you planning." Kaneru flashed him a brilliant smile that seemed to summon something inside of him. His heart woke up and he felt the affection her had been nursing for months rise up. But ignored it as the women carefully chipped several shards off of the Crystal and placed it into small clean slides. She lifted them up on small grated stands, and placed different objects underneath. Under one she placed a burning flame, under another a tiny amount of activated Lightning Dust, with a third, she placed a water sprayer. The final one was a simple air blower.

He watched in amazement as the crystals shifted to their respective types over a period of about three minutes.

"Huh…neat." She gave the doctor a rotten look at his simple reply and tsked while cleaning up her mess.

" _Neat_ is not the word I would use for the greatest discovery since the discovery of _Dust_ itself." She let out a scoff and placed the remaining chunk of crystal under isolated storage. "But even with this…I still feel uneasy.

Polendina gave out a confused harumph. "Why? This is incredible!"

"Because it's _too_ easy," Kitsune rubbed her arms out of habit, brushing against a myriad of scars. "It's _impossible_ for something this simple to create…to have remained undiscovered for centuries. There _has_ to be some reason right? Or maybe I'm just giving humanity too much credit." Her tail curled around her waist in a furry hug.

"Unless…" Her eyes flickered over to him. "Every time anyone managed it they were destroyed by Grimm, or _other_ malevolent forces. There's a reason the SDC wasn't allowed to fund this research station. In fact we have enough funds for at least a decade at our current pace."

"We'll have to keep our research into Aura private for now. Besides while our Dust understanding is advanced, _creating_ Dust is a whole other ball game. If this goes right, perhaps we can finally be free."

Doctor Polendina was practically ecstatic at the idea and began to think on what new types of technology could be created. He glanced over at his notes and research on Neural Networks and neuromorphic computing, as well as a new paper on Diamond computer wafers.

He wondered… What would happen if he injected aura into a carbon based neuromorphic compute?

"Hey what was that students name anyway?"

"James Ironwood, one of the best of his year. Size he wants to join the military as a specialist. He's a bright one two, fascinated with technology really and how it can help protect Atlas from the Grimm."

"So clearly he'll keep this to himself."

The doctor grinned."He's a friend…" He paused in his statement and turned to face his fellow scientist with some nervousness and trepidation. "Hey… Kaneru?"

"Hmm…?"

"D-Do you want to go out for coffee some time? I uh know a good place near the academy that serves some good drinks and various foot items. It would be sensational if you would come along.

"…"

"I…I would _love_ to!"


	8. Early Days: Chapter 6

**Author's Note:**

Sup..welcome to chapter six of The Silver Eyed Alchemist. I've been working on and off on this chapter, working and reworking entire sections until they felt right. This and the next chapter will act as a time skip of sorts, probably a year or two passing within each chapter. Then there will be one or two more chapters and their accompanying interludes before we reach the actual Beacon phase. By that point things will be rather different in a number of respects from whatever Canon used to be. Either way, this story will eventually _earn_ its M rating once I have some more confidence with writing more intense scenes. Anyway thanks for staying on...

Disclaimer I don't own any of Roosterteeth property. Please review and follow if you're interested.

* * *

 **Chapter Six: How Time…**

"OWW!"

"Yes!" I celebrated openly as I swept Umber off of her feet and right onto her rear. She had been knocked out of bounds, her aura flashing for the briefest instant as she fell onto the hard floor. I sauntered over to my bunny friend and offered my hand. Umber smiled and took the hand, jumping onto the tip of her toes.

I had finally…finally gotten an actual win over her after nearly a fucking year. More importantly we had both succeeded in getting into Signal Academy combat school. It had been difficult getting myself up to a good enough level but I managed. I still had trouble but I didn't care… _I_ was going to get better and nothing would stop me at least for now.

"The loser finally beat the stinking animal huh?" My friendly grin dropped and I felt a surge of rage before I reined it in not bothering to hide it. Over the last four weeks of school a stupid brown haired _fatass_ had been acting like a complete buzz kill. Every moment he had available was used to insult us with racist, sexist or just plain stupid comments. The funny part was that he was actually _weaker_ than me, and was in fact the only person I defeated on a consistent basis. Everyone was on a more even footing with me or better than me on some level.

But other than that knowing I had managed to beat the top Pole arm fighter made me feel proud and happy. So ignoring that little shit, I took a sit down on the bench, and grabbed a towel wiping off the accumulating sweat from training. I passed a towel to Umber too, and grabbed the small lunch box. We were taking a break after a number of spars over the last hour and a half.

It was thankfully better than the first day where _all_ the students at once had to fight Gilda at the _same_ time. It went just as well as you could imagine and she _literally_ swept the floor with us. With one poor Asian looking girl getting rug burn after sliding on her face.

"So I finally beat you." Umber nodded while taking a sip of water and a brief bite of some carrots… I held out my left hand and she passed me some to munch on, while we watched the last spar of the day.

The fatass vs Taiyang…

 _Oh_ I'm going to enjoy this spar very much… Taiyang didn't use any weapon being a master of open handed combat. The other kid took up a practice War hammer with a stupidly smug smirk on his face like usual. I suspected it was just a mask he put on to hide his insecurities. Gilda stood up with a rather serious expression and asked for the two young teenagers to begin.

The two trainees circled around each other though I noticed that Taiyang left what _looked_ like openings in his stance that the other kid took note of. I still didn't know how the other kid…a Win something or other remained so confident after the near continuous train of beat downs.

I waited with a bored expression likely on my face and sighed as the unnamed guy took the first step, lifting his hammer over his head in the same manner one would lift a wood axe. It was mildly insulting to see someone with such poor skill be a student in this school. I hope that at the least he would end up improving and getting rid of that rotten attitude.

Taiyang easily sidestepped the heavily choreographed attack and retaliated with a kick to the kids legs knocking him off balance. The brunette growled and threw his whole weight behind the war hammer. Taiyang took a step forward dodging the attack and in one fluid motion landed a punch right on the kids chin. I flinched as the kid nearly fell out of the ring but narrowly caught himself by stabbing the dull end of the hammer into the floor. Taiyang sauntered almost lazily if I didn't know any better.

"Come on man, can't you do any better?" The kid's expression became _livid_ at the taunt. The kid roared and jumped into the air his hammer overhead in another unrefined strike. Right now he wasn't very impressive to anyone. The Golden child turned on his heels, and grabbed the kid by the scruff of his neck.

"Next time…" The 13-year-old boy flinched at Taiyang's neutral tone. "Do better."

With a resounding thud the match had ended with the indignant kid snarling on rage. What the hell is that kids problem, he was _okay_ before this one sparring day, what happened? Despite the outburst Tai offered his hand anyway with his winning smile. The Win-something curled his hands around the hammer, the wooden shaft splintering under his fists. My body coiled as my instincts screamed at me to just _move_ and the world _blurred_ around me. I twirled my staff and a splintering of breaking wood followed.

The damn kid had tried it smash his weapon into Tai's smiling face. I had acted and managed to block it, but broke his weapon in the process.

Wait that isn't important!

"Tai are you okay?" I leaned up into his face checking for injuries. I found none and leaned back noting the light blush on Taiyang's face. I turned to give the kid a glare but the mortified expression on his face…drained away any anger I had to give him.

"Mister Winchester!" My mother was absolutely _livid_ and stomped over to the paralyzed child. He scampered away with a whimper, startling my mother and stopping her march. My feelings turned to sympathy once I realized _something_ was wrong with him. Gilda pinched the bridge of her nose and sighed under her breath.

"Please come with me, we _need_ to have a little talk you and I." Winchester stood up with an unreadable expression as he turned. I tilted my head the slightest, and he flushed before looking away. I relaxed my stance and was off put by the confused look on Taiyang's and Umber's face.

"Why are you two giving me that face? Did I do something wrong?" The two kids shook their heads with a quiet "tsk" and I wondered what was going on.

Umber's bunny ears twitched as she responded. "You _do_ know the kind of reaction your face gives to guys right?" What exactly is _that_ supposed to mean? I don't oh Goddamnit man!

"Please tell you're joking!" The blank expression on her face told me anything.

This had been a growing problem overall, because _apparently_ being cute made people _attracted_ to you and I just wasn't interested right now. There had even been a few times where I had gotten love notes, which while kind of cute, they didn't do it for me. The click of heels stopped the murmuring and whispers of our fellow classmates as Gilda strutted back into the room.

She clapped her recently manicured hand twice.

"Class dismissed!"

Well okay then…

So it would be Weaponsmithing next.

Yess…

* * *

"Students! You have your weapon in mind for the semester project yes?!" I nodded absently, gazing longingly at the forge and the numerous tools set around it. I had been waiting impatiently since the class had started. It had taken me months upon months before entering Signal to figure out what my weapon should be. The rest of the time was spent learning how to design and built weapons from mom and our teacher. In hindsight my weapon had already been decided for a while now.

I could work with close range contact if necessary but something with a wider range would be more comfortable for me. So I needed a long _sharp_ spear say about 8 feet long, however it also needed to have a _very_ powerful firearm built in. I needed to take my alchemy into account on what my weapon would be capable of as well. Maybe I can add a grenade launcher of some sort that throws chunks of metal with arrays carved in? Hmm…already writing that down…

I could probably use a coilgun instead of a railgun, though it would be more complicated, but not having chunks of my grenades slough off _would_ be a benefit. I just need to figure out what kind of arrays I wanted to use, but I also had to create some long distance arrays for a variety of effects.

I wonder if I could power my rail gun using one of those lightning arrays? If I can do that it would mean no need for Dust at all. And unlike my gloves they would always work as long as they don't get scraped away and that isn't going to happen. Unless my weapon is destroyed of course…

"So what are you working on kid?" I gave our teacher a smile as she loomed over curiously. This was Bestla, and coincidentally was Borr's wife and the forge master of the school. She was the one who would help us with making our signature weapons. Of course my helicoptering mother was a part of the process as well…

"I'm just drawing…the blueprints…for my weapon. What do you think?" The older women gave an appreciative hum as she viewed the just completed drawing for my _ultimate_ weapon. The drawing was the weapon I believe fit _me_ best.

A high caliber sniper spear( _snipear_ ) with a close range third mode halberd assault rifle. The various anti material rifles I've seen before initially inspired the gun mode. But as I thought about it more the image of a more…fictional rifle came to mind.

It's…inspired by the Gauss rifle from the Crysis games and the Widow M98 from the Mass Effect games …mainly because I still have vivid memories of fan fictions involving them and RWBY. Physically it resembles a Crysis 2 Gauss rifle with some bits of a Barrett M82 mixed in with the Mass Effect style internal ammo block of tungsten alloy. It has the frontal section of the M2014, and the rear assembly of an M82 without the cartridge, only a space to insert a Dust compressed Tungsten block. The spearhead is actually a part of the barrel muzzle and had little wings to keep it from getting stuck in an object like say a Grimm's corpse for example. The head is mostly solid except for the last four inches, which are both on little pivots.

But there is one…tiny difference

It doesn't _technically_ have any need of a trigger…it has the grip and trigger of course but my weapon can be fired using a _tiny_ pulse of aura alone. Or…through alchemy…probably. But to be honest that isn't too uncommon among Huntsman weapons really. The main reason for that are the two internal Dust crystals. So it's more like a staff rather than a normal gun if necessary.

As for the spear blade sections normally in their position they would completely block the bullet, but the two blades were on a hinge that would pivot outward allowing the bullet to fly. So I could pierce through a Grimm flesh and wreck their insides with a hypersonic round to the stomach.

To form my spear mode, the two outer sections will close laterally and the stock will telescope outward to a total length of 8 feet. Actually in this mode the rails will extend, increasing the length of the barrel and upping the velocity of the gun. The trigger and grip will also move back with the stock, though the grip will flip leaving only the trigger exposed. I based the spear off Nordic spear designs, only black and white and metallic. Now to return to gun mode, the stock will telescope back in and the sections will pivot to make way for the barrel, reducing the length to 57 inches.

But the most important detail about my weapon is that it has an _incredibly_ powerful rail gun firing a 100-gram tungsten alloy flechette round at 6000 meters per second. Basically a slightly larger and more powerful version of my original prototype. One major difference is the use of Gravity Dust as the initial acceleration stage instead of Wind Dust. That was for several reasons… One, Gravity Dust has greater energy density than Wind and I'm using it in as a solid crystal as well. Second, well…Crush Dust is a lot like Eezo. Third…well that's all I've got. I don't _need_ another reason to make a gun powerful enough to rival Yang's(?) semblance in energy output.

Muzzle energy of almost two mega joules and beating out a WW2 tank is nothing to sneeze at. It's a pretty ridiculous level of firepower for one gun and I _love_ it! It can punch through Grimm armor and burn through aura like a hot knife through butter. Best part is because of Dust and aura bullshit I can actually hit faster and than that as a _special_ attack. Its main limitation is the difficulty in using Dust rounds within the bullet though I have some _ideas_.

Thus this will serve as a long-range weapon able to keep my distance from an opponent and even damage them from over a mile away. Thank God for Remnant technology or else the round would probably melt with their size. But in case of more _intimate_ combat ranges which are likely with Grimm and rogue bandits I have my halberd mode.

Now to form my halberd, my spear has an attached underbarrel grenade launcher with two axe blades screwed to the barrel. To form the butt of my weapon will telescope inward while the grenade launcher will moved forward on a rail that hinges at the end to form the blade. A lot like a shorter version of Crescent Rose's scythe blades. Actually funny thing is, it's pretty much just my sniper mod, with the grenade launcher moved forward and flipped to form the halberd head. The small coil gun grenade launcher takes up most of the space used for the barrel support, so once formed.

So I'll have a halberd grenade launcher hybrid weapon. But they aren't just any normal grenades, they make use of my transmutation "semblance" basically hunks of aerodynamic steel or iron with long distance arrays engraved onto them as I've mentioned previous. Propelled by a coil gun to high speed, the array grenades are rather fast and incredibly cheap, since I can make them from midair if necessary. Originally a landmine and a distinct long distance array, the main circle is engraved on the back of the gun and then transmitted to the mine. Depending on the array it can be highly explosive, poisonous, or even radiological. They can explode on impact or on my command depending on what I want. The grenades can fire with each swing if necessary.

And that's not all… while in this mode I can switch from the 100-gram flechette slugs too much smaller rounds at a lower speed. This time it would be a 3000 meter per second 4.3 gram bullet being fired at a maximum of _5581_ rounds a minute Basically a damn rotary cannon and very hard to dodge for most people(except Huntsman obviously) though the velocity might be too much for even them.

"You know a weapon like this is going to be rather hard to make you know. Your melee weapons are rather simple but you've placed all the complexity in the guns. I can see you made the rails modular to replace when needed but still… This thing will wear down like a motherfucker."

"Hey!" I replied indignantly if with a small smirk on my face. "I'll have you know these superconductive rails will last 10,000 full power shots and it's machine gun mode will have less damage on the rails." Except for the higher fire rate related wear but…

"Of course kiddo." The old woman had a _look_ on face that infuriated me. Goddamn she was reminding me of Ozpin and his damn knowing smirk he's always pulling…

"Now how far have you gotten on the whole 'coil gun' launcher." I felt excitement rush through me as she asked that. There had been some good results in the past few weeks on that front.

"Oh? It's been going great; getting the power electronics for it hasn't been difficult at all… The speed is limited of course to about 250 meters per second at the fastest…"

More of a rocket than a grenade launcher really…

The older women looked rather impressed and I glanced around as she mumbled to herself. The other students were hashing out their own weapons too barring the exception of Taiyang who only wanted some studded gloves. He had no need for a long range option preferring getting up close and personal. He honestly was a rather terrifying opponent and I had never succeeded in beating him even once.

I still needed to get better…

"H-Hello." Umber had walked over with a sweet smile on her face, she had a blueprint in her hand and our teacher gave us a nod before leaving to help out the other students. The cute bunny girl still had the occasional trouble with stuttering for brief moments at a time. It was a rather endearing habit of hers.

"Hi. Do you need any help, or did you just want an excuse to talk to me?" I gave her a gentle and hopefully friendly smile as she grabbed one of her ears out of habit. She didn't answer but sat down next to me and opened up the blueprint so I could see.

Hmm…a trident like Yari with an embedded Dust firing mechanism…much like a sharper and longer version of Amber's staff mixed with Weiss's revolver. It can fire various different rounds of Dust or create an elemental beam if she wants it to. It uses a typical Breeze Dust propellant to propel her elemental bullets though she can launch them as blanks like a Gravity Dust blast. This is actually a really simple…

I gave the girl a smug look and patted her shoulder. She gave me a small pout before turning away. "So you did just want to talk."

"Yeah…so uh…" I waved with my hands for her to continue. "How has everything been? We haven't gotten as much time to…you know _hang_ out."

True…everything has been rather rushed as we all got used to the routine of Combat School. But now that we(barely) have the hang of it, I think we can make some time.

"It's been good…as you can see I have my weapon…well not ready but give it some more time and it should be well on its way to ripping people and Grimm a new asshole." Umber giggled, covering her mouth with her left hand as I wrapped my arms around my chest. I felt my lips twist into discomfort as I felt the general softness of that area.

Right uh… "Also uh…I wouldn't mind if maybe…you, Taiyang and I could hang next, next weekend? I've got some free time if you wouldn't mind."

The young girl gave me a soft smile. "Of course I don't mind and neither will Taiyang." Her fingers lightly grazed against the sheet of her future weapon, almost longingly.

"So what's been going on with you? Made a new friend, or maybe even figured out your semblance?" She shook her head, her brown bangs fluttering with the action.

"Nope, nothing like that…I just spent some time playing a new video game my mom got me. Smash…something or other…" I scooted over to her, lightly tapping my hips against her own. I wanted to know if the game was what _I_ was thinking of.

"What game is it?" She grinned and started to write some additional notes on her blueprint while we talked.

"It's a fighting game that uses characters from Mientendo." I firmly placed my hands against our workbench surprising the girl.

I had heard some rumors about a version of Smash in this world by a company with a similar name. I had unfortunately wasted most of my "allowance" on building all my various tools. So no fun video games for me…

"We should play that when we have the chance…" I gave her a thumbs up and a hearty laugh in response. Hmm…now back to work. I need to get this done and an outside perspective should be rather helpful.

I should add _two_ more bolts here for the rails, a higher quality Shock Dust crystal should have a longer lasting charge though I've been thinking of using the medium quality Energy crystals instead. It's nowhere as dense as what's found in major power plants or on the few warships that exist. Both are rather expensive but since I'm rather loaded I can easily afford the need.

But I've designed my rail gun in mind to take any sort of power Dust necessary. Even the worst quality Lightning powder should work in a pinch, and in the worst case my arrays could act as backup source of energy.

The bell rung meaning classes had ended… Dang…

Umber stood up from her chair with a bounce in her step and gestured for me to come along. Her ears were wiggling the entire time her excitement rather apparent. "Hey see you later right?" A little hint of her more happy go lucky personality showed itself. I felt honored to see a more honest side of her.

"Yep," I gave her a Summer Rose signature smile and lifted myself up to my tippy toes waving excitedly. "See you bun-bun!" Her ears drooped at the embarrassing nickname I had given her, but nodded and lifted her hand up in the air as a goodbye.

A good day today…

* * *

" _Hey, hey listen…"_ A familiar voice echoed across the empty void of what seemed to be a dream. I did my best to ignore it, preferring the bliss of a dreamless sleep.

" _Hey…_ **hey?"** the voice changed…

" **Why are you ignoring me? Why didn't you help me?"**

My eyes became wide open and I felt a whimper release itself from my throat. I felt the air leave me, as a bloody broken hand, the face of a dead man searing itself into my memory. Next to him a a young female rabbit faunus's face was twisted into a snarl of hatred and I felt tears run down my face.

" _Why didn't you save my dad?"_

"N-No I couldn't I didn't k-know…" My voice showed my fear and I was quivering like the useless person I was. Hundred of other faces showed themselves… Families lost and broken; never to return.

" **Why didn't you save us?! Why?! Why?! Why?!** " They desperately begged me for an answer I couldn't give them. I didn't know when Mount Glenn w—

"Please shut up… _please_ shut up, just leave me alone." I crawled on my back running away from the terrifying spectres of my nightmares. Another cold-clawed hand met my shoulder. I turned, my body quivering. I came face to faces with an amalgam of dozens of humans who I barely remembered now.

" **WHY DID YOU FORGET US!?"**

"AHHH!" Heels tapped against the wood floor and I was swept up into a comfortable hug. My heart was pounding in my chest and I felt my lips quiver as the concern in Gilda's eyes increased.

I…I…just ignore, just ignore it…just ignore it…it doesn't matter. I snuggled into her neck and she didn't say a single word as I calmed down. But when my shaking became when I felt like shit…when I knew I was a terrible person f-for everything.

She hummed a song, quietly murmuring the lyrics under her breath…

"Time is an illusion that helps things make sense…" My shivers slowly faded as the familiar song left from Gilda's mouth. My eyelids drooped as the gentle song lulled me to sleep.

"You and I will always be back then…"

I-I'm sorry I wasn't strong enough…

* * *

"ahh…"

Where am—I'm on my bed? Right my nightmare woke me up in the middle of the night. I grabbed at the sheets and with a light high pitched grunt threw them off of me.

Okay, time to…time to wake up…and smell the roses…

Heh, heh… Ok I'm in my room I'm safe, there's nothing wrong…

"Dammit" A curse slipped out and I subconsciously scratched my chest.

 _Oh,_ I _Ohh..._ that feels…

"S-Should remember not to do that anymore with how _sensitive_ my well…" But they're _mine_ aren't they? It feels kind of nice anyway…but uh for now I need to put on some actual clothes. I was going to hang out with Taiyang and Umber today at her house. Which I shockingly hadn't done before at all. I needed, well wanted to look…presentable for such a new occasion.

But it wouldn't be easy…with my ongoing _growth spurt_ there had been some issues with finding clothes that fit me. It wasn't necessarily just in the height department, though I was already starting to match some of the more average sized boys in height and mass. About 65.67 kilograms and 167.67 centimeters actually, I had even surpassed my previous life in height and weight now. Maybe I drink too much milk? _Buut_ I kinda doubt it and even if that was why, I wouldn't stop because milk and cookies is the perfect snack.

With a sigh I stood up and glanced in the mirror, scratching the crook of my neck. I was currently wearing a long white shirt that acted as a dress, covering my pair of blue boxers. Because hey, just because I'm a girl doesn't mean I need to _wear_ girly things unless it was…for _health_ reasons. I ran my fingers through my messy shoulder length hair and forced a smile.

"Everything is fine…or, or if it isn't, it will be fine." Now Br—Summer relax, and take a seat to cool off. My hands curled inward gripping the beds sheets, and I threw my feet back and forth as I took a deep breathe. I wrapped my arms around my chest and some heat rose in my cheeks at the bounce.

Right…need to put on a bra…support is important for a growing girl. I glanced down to my chest with moderate discomfort. Unfortunately that… _area_ had gotten _visibly_ larger. So…right need to find the right size…ahh here it is!

"36C apparently…" I muttered under my breath as I clumsily put it on, struggling with the clasp. I still hadn't gotten a lot of practice with this and I was having some…issues. Nothing too bad but I had to figure it out regardless of what I wanted. I glanced around for a moment and took a better look of _what_ I looked in the mirror.

I patted my stomach, taking note of the toned muscles underneath. I suspected that in another few months I would have the beginnings of an actual six-pack. I couldn't help myself and flexed checking myself out. I glided down to my hips, moving them side to side out of curiosity mostly…

Going to be honest…and not to be arrogant I'm apparently _hot_ as hell. Or at least cute since I _am_ only 13ish. I would say give me another couple of years and I'll be turning heads (hopefully from girls…don't mind a guy though…)

"Ahem…" I coughed and scanned the room again. I lifted _them_ up to check their weight my curiosity winning out. Again my biology was…interesting and there was _no_ other reason for it.

They were a bit heavy…

CLOTHES! I was looking for clothes!

I opened up the small closest for my clothes, and began to decide on what I felt like wearing for today.

How about this black shirtdress? It's mighty comfortable, and can fit my _magnificent_ figure just fine, just need that little belt too, button it up _and_ I'm done! What about those red high boots? Good for kicking people in the face! Now…my white cloak over the dress…and I'm _good_ to go.

Once I was finished dressing (and admiring myself in the mirror for the second time…) I turned on my heels to open the door to my room, tilting my body forward to look around the corner of the corridor. I tapped my heavy boots and grinned as I heard two distinct knocks on the door to my home. It was a little ritual between Umber, Taiyang and I. Her faunus hearing was absolutely _excellent,_ so I took advantage of it and very once in a while.

"Sup." Taiyang gave me a friendly smile and I wave as I opened the door for Umber and him. The slightly taller teenager had worn a tan hooded jacket with set of baggy brown jeans. Peeking out from behind him was Umber, wearing a dark brownish-red blouse and a red skirt with black leggings.

My grin widened at the flurry of frozen water that lazily drizzled down from the clouded sky. When I had originally been taken in; I had been too distracted to notice the changing climate. But now I could really admire the sheer beauty and majesty of a good snow.

 _FWOOSH!_

As well as the biting cold of a winter wind…

I closed and locked the door behind me, hiding the key within the various inner pockets I had alchemically stitched into my cloak. I walked with a small spring in my step, feeling in a particularly good mood today. It did seem that some bits and pieces of the original Summer's personality had leaked through into my own. _That_ or in my previous life I was so unhappy and dysfunctional that I went the _other_ direction when I came to this world.

"Hey," I perked up and leaned in Umber's direction as she got my attention. I nodded waiting for her response. She sighed and steeled her resolve. "Could you tell me about the importance of polygons in 'alchemy" I snorted when Bun-Bun used air quotes but complied with her request.

"Right, Polygons in alchemy are used to break down and decompose materials within a transmutation circle. The transmuted substance is tossed by the polygon from their vertices into the circulation of the circle. Kind of like like tossing a salad, but if instead you were tossing possibly explosive, poisonous, carcinogenic, or radioactive materials.

"So…not at all like tossing a salad…" Tai replied with a deadpan look and shook his head I shrugged with a "mhmm." and was tempted to grab some of the snow. But…it's cold…so _maybe_ not?

"Then what do the different polygons do?"

I tapped Umber's forehead with a small smile, more than willing to oblige her request. I _loved_ to just explain things to people, if their questions can be answered anyway.

"Yes, the first shape a triangle is used to break down matter to the atomic or even the subatomic level reducing a substance down to its most basic elements. How the elements are separated or broken down depends on how your Array is built." the rabbit faunus followed along easily, having an easier time at it than Taiyang ever did. Which was why he only had a specialized Air array built into his gloves to augment his semblance during a worst-case scenario.

"Keep going to the next one…" I gave my female friend a thumbs up, feeling the urge to skip as the lovely and oddly cozy give of today soaked into my bones.

"Then there is a square which is used to break something down to parts. From as small as a molecule to as large as a boulder…"

Gradually my explanation degraded into a one-way monologue, which was typical of any conversation, started by our resident bunny. I suspected she did it on purpose so she wouldn't have to talk as much, but Taiyang was cutting in more and more to stop that habit. Which I didn't have a problem with, I might love the sound of my own voice but I like learning about the people who…have been so nice to me.

"Hey…is that Winchester?" My spiel stopped as Tai pointed to a hunched figure, their hair barely visible under an impossibly thick dark brown hooded jacket. He rather resembled a tiny grizzly bear with the sheer amount of fluff on that piece of clothing. He looked rather pitiful and I wondered if I could help him in some manner.

"Summer _noo!_ I know you're practicing this empathy for your fellow man (women?) thing but…" At that point I made up my mind. I _did_ have to act the part of Summer Rose right? But…in my _own_ way…

"HEY!" The boy flinched as he heard my call and tried to duck away from us. A slight application of _skate,_ and I crossed the 20 meter distance in .8 seconds. The boy nearly leaped out of his own skin as I skidded just short of his face.

"Go away," the kid tried to push past me but I was too quick and agile for the poor boy. His eyes were almost haunted making me more determined to do something. "Please…just leave I'm not worth the effort…" I sighed and begged for help from my friends with the frightening power of my puppy eyes. It didn't take long for their resistance to crumble…

Hey… if you have the goods why not use em for good? I clasped my hands on his shoulders keeping him from making his escape. My hesitant friends surrounded him and I asked him the all-important question

I gave him a friendly grin. "Wanna hang out?"

His confusion was positively _adorable._ "H-Huh?"

* * *

The discomfort on his face was obvious to see for everyone in Umber's living room. He sat apart as far away as possible, while the three of us remained in a small pile of friendship. I pointed my chin to them asking for help, because I didn't think this through at all.

I'm…not a socializer…I'm not particularly good or bad with people, but I _do_ have empathy. I guess it only took my own death, to actually do _something_ for another human being. Which brought me to an important question.

"Uh…this might be a little rude and I apologize if this offends." He lifted up his full eyes at my voice. "But…" I wrung my hands together in anxiety as my cheeks flushed. "What is your name? I never really paid any attention to it."

Winchester gave me the flattest expression I had ever seen, the first genuine reaction since he had arrived. I decided to push my luck further, he was starting to open up. I patted the free space beside me hoping he would take the offer. Surprisingly he did, and the kid wrapped his arms around his stiff legs clearly discomforted.

"It's…Cassin." I tilted my head, wondering if it was related to a bird name of some sort. My memory was near perfect in remembering the plot but I didn't know _everything._ Not that I could anyway…

"So Cassin…" I waved a Scroll based controller for the game. "You want to play with us? I don't mind, and neither do they right?" I nudged the both of them with impunity. Both of them agreed with my… _gentle_ prompting but Cassin remained hesitant.

"I…why are you being so nice to me?" I felt a pout come on but suppressed it giving him what I hoped was a calm understanding look.

"Because I _want_ to be nice to you? You…don't seem like a bad person, just confused and hurt. It's just the right thing to do, you know?" Please be enough of an explanation…

"O-Okay." My friends were surprised while relief passed through my body as he said yes. I passed him the controller and we got ready to play.

So…my "plan" was going pretty well…

"Hey…don't you dare!" The signature sound of a character getting knocked off screen punctuated Umber's rage filled scream. Taiyang pumped his fists as he was declared the winner of the match. Cassin had a soft smile on his as he watched the rabbit girl pout, a glimmer of amusement in his eyes. We had already gone through several matches, though I hadn't won more than once, because while I was familiar with the game I hadn't played in years.

There was some nostalgia as I lost, remembering the few times I had played with my cousins all those years ago…

"How is everyone doing." I grinned as Umber's mother came into the room with some drinks and snacks, the kind rabbit faunus's eyes twinkling with motherly happiness. She set down some sodas and I grabbed one familiar to me in taste and appearance. It was Remnant's equivalent of Sprite, but not just _any_ old Sprite. It was the only one I was ever willing to drink once I had been introduced to it in Mexico once my parents moved to the American side of the border area from Florida.

 _Mexican_ Sprite…there was subtle flavor difference that was…just _fantastic,_ plus the Coke is great too! Can't forget their Doritos either…

"I-I Summer you should slow down you might choke." I waved off Cassin's concern and gorged myself even faster.

" _Neverrr…_ " I hissed at him and he paled.

Hmm…maybe my eating habits are why I'm more err...voluptuous than Summer Rose was in life. That or my soul could be having some effect on how puberty is working out. Huh, does it work like that? Because in life I was Mexican and the females on both sides of my family were…rather top heavy you could say.

Doesn't matter though, no matter what body I have I'm still me…I could look like freaking Battleship or a Nomu for all I care. As long as my mind and soul are the same I think I would be okay. With a different body, sure I'll change but that applies to any living thing that forms new neural connections over the course of their lifetime.

Now this time I'm going to be Bowser, err…Bowsette…

…

…

Going to be honest, I'm unsure if I should be impressed or afraid that Bowsette's "fans" managed to get her into Smash somewhere in the vastness of the multiverse.

Gender bent Bowser… I think the universe was now _intentionally_ fucking with me at this point. Thankfully it seems like this is _specifically_ a genderbent character rather than all of them being flipped in this universe. I don't don't think my sanity could take another blow.

"WRAHH! I screamed almost childish as I began my assault.

Double claw!

Headbutt!

Claw swipe to the face bitch!

Fuck you Mario! You little…Italian shitbag!

"What's an Italian?" My ears turned red as I noticed that everyone was actively staring at me. I mumbled some nonsense in Spanish…and they all turned back to the TV like hologram.

We continued to play for a couple of hours until it was past noon. I ended up winning a couple of times as I got the hang of the game again. Cassin grew less shy and more confident and I felt almost…proud of myself for helping him. Getting to know him did start to make me feel guilty for calling him a fatass…but whatever.

But soon enough it was time for him to go…

The kid seemed hesitant to leave and glanced over at me, I placed my hands on my hips curious on what he wanted to say. He shuffled his feet for a solid minute before he rushed over to me in a tackle.

Wha— _oh._

The boy had wrapped his arms around me tightly and I mechanically patted his back as I felt little drops tears fall. Cassin is a rather sensitive kid ain't he? But whatever as long as he doesn't do anything _untoward_ we'll get along fine.

"T-Thank you." I nodded sadly, wondering what the hell his parent or guardian was doing to him to make him break down at a simple act of kindness. I…wanted to help him even more.

"You're…welcome to hang out with us if…you want." The other two didn't mind and I could they have even looked forward to it.

"I…okay…" He let go, rubbing his eyes to remove the wetness. He looked cutely bashful as he glanced over. "Do you promise to…even when you go off…to Beacon. At least to talk I mean…"

He…didn't want to become Huntsmen did he? Well sure…

"Very well," I grinned rather cheekily. "As my subject I must take care of your needs."

Kid only looked totally confused at my reply, but he looked happy…

I…would protect him and people like him…

* * *

" **Finally after so long…"**

Everyone around me took a step back as I let out a feral sounding cackle. It didn't help that my mother was emitting a similar aura. My beautiful masterpiece had been completed after much work and hardship. A number of issues with occasional explosions had put a damper on my work. But…I figured it out despite the setbacks. We were going through the final process of checking for any potential issues we hadn't noticed. It had taken a triple check with my semblance and a quadruple check with my own two hands and equipment.

It was…perfect…in every way imaginable…

I picked it with near reverence, feeling all the little quirks of the heavy weapon. For months I had labored on this weapon, getting all the necessary materials for it. I felt the deepest crooks and corners of my wondrous machine.

The superconductive copper rails…tested to last 30,000 uses, after some recent material improvements from Atlas. The Earth Dust reinforced steel and titanium; the newly invented carbon five composite shaft hidden within the stock reduced the still immense weight. The Tungsten alloy block compressed by Space Compression Dust and shaped into bullets with each shot. Using an array to shape the bullet depending on my needs.

Honestly an array seemed to work much like an unnecessarily esoteric programming language. It was something frankly incredible…so in this array it's built specifically for the bullet materials of my gun, and based on the written commands on the circle, would shape it based on the mode the gun is in.

That…took a _long_ while to figure out, blew up the prototypes like three times. There have been been some _small_ changes here and there mainly making the internal power core more interchangeable. The power core lay behind the over 40 inch long barrel and is comprised of two crystals of Crush Dust and Shock Dust. If there's one fortunate thing about Dust crystals…is that their energy tends to dissipate pretty easily. Because this thing has enough energy to feed my gun for hundreds (thousands…) of shots…times a 100 for its smaller rounds…more if I feed some aura into it like many do.

"How is it?" I gripped the shaft, my hands finding the best balance on their own. The spearhead gleamed in the light and I knew I had done it…everything was if not perfect close enough for my needs. I gave my mother a thumbs up and with a click the weapon compacted down to its still immense rifle mode. The grip of the gun was comfortable, and I wondered if I would get a chance to test it.

"A real marvel of engineering my student." I _beamed_ feeling positively ecstatic at my success.

"You want to test it out?" I nodded and we walked over to one of the main firing ranges. Everything was empty and quiet at least for now.

But…not for long…

Okay…breath…brace the gun against your shoulder…keep my _aura_ up, and brace myself even more with it. Because this thing has _100_ times the recoil of rifles from earth. Not as much as you would expect mainly due to the lack of propellant, and the more linear acceleration of my weapon. I calculated it at about 32000 newtons of recoil compared to the recoil of cre—

Never mind that, I wanna see what it can do. I prepared to fire, the usual boom of explosive Dust and gun power was replaced by an electric hum as it rapidly charged. Now let's…

One, two, three—

 _BOOOOMMM!_

JESUS _CHRIST_ ON A BIKE! That damn recoil would have shattered my shoulder and my spine if I were still a normal human! Which makes sense since I'm firing the equivalent of a handheld 60 something millimeter cannon. The dummy target had basically exploded and melted, and there was a flash of heat still remaining. Okay let's try… A-Anyway Crescent Rose has recoil of 46800 newtons and before anyone asks how that makes any sense, it's Dust shenanigans. Aura users can modify the effect of Dust turning their weapons into makeshift propulsion systems or to up the apparent mass of their bullets, or the potency of a Dust explosion.

In my case I could throw myself back with some 800 plus thousand newtons of force. So I could leap some 100 odd meters in the air with _one_ firing. Not including the _massively_ aura infused super attack I was able to theoretically do. My normal attacks would drop a tenth of a top tier student tanks aura in a single shot, or could even cripple an Atlas Mech (the prototype anyway). But give it time for some more advancement. My aura infused, extra speed and mass attack…well there's a reason I based it on the Crysis Gauss rifle.

One shot…one kill, two to four of you were a Huntsmen…

It would be useful if it wasn't for a fact, that it took a massive quantity of aura and there was a good chance my weapon could explode… but we aren't here for that right now we're moving on to…

Rapid fire mode…

 _BRRRT! BRRRT! BRRRT!_

I could only barely keep myself steady, as the recoil was rather sizable…

In one second…I had expended about 93 bullets...causing further property damage. I sheepishly moved on to the next target, and activated the trigger of my weapon using…aura similar to how Yang activates her gauntlets…

Loaded a single 150 gram chunk of iron aluminum, adding the array and…

The projectile flew outward like a rocket and when it made its mark it exploded in a detonation of freezing air, leaving an ice covered dummy. I fired again, and a conflagration melted that ice rather quick. I fired a third time and a smaller chunk narrowly missed the head, striking the chest instead. The dummy was burned by intense electrical shocks…

"Hehehehe…" I cackled under my breath, but kept my voice as quiet as possible. I didn't want to frighten the other kids more than they already were.

"Now…I think you should test the melee modes…" I nodded to my mother's request as all the kids were expected to use their weapons in class for the next 3 and half years (give or take or couple of months). Until they either quit or went off to whatever work they were looking for. Be it to a Huntsmen academy, the police or even the military in some rarer cases.

So…let's test it… I want to see how much I've improved…

* * *

I breathe deeply as I faced my combat teacher, the women who had taken care of me for over a year was wielding a simple halberd. No fancy weapon was built into it at all…but I knew she _would_ make use of her semblance in our little fight.

I lifted up my weapon in its spear mode…the black and white spear had some small changes to its paint job. Various "runes" had been added to make some small _improvements_ to my masterpiece. Some were added onto to the tip to add various alchemical effects, others made it easier to aim, and throw.

Not that I _was_ going to throw it, not with this fight…

The arrays started to grow but I suppressed it…not wanting the light to alert my opponent. Apparently alchemy doesn't need to glow at all, making stealthy transmutation rather easier than expected.

No…distractions…

I leaped forward, taking the initiative after plotting out a simple plan. But with a slight twist, her spear blocked my blow with ease. I flinched and barely blocked her retaliatory strike.

Fast…too fast…I knew I didn't stand a chance…but I needed to make an effort. I had the greater reach with our weapons but…

 _SHINK!_

I moved my head to the left, ducking a spear that had popped out from a portal.

Right, shit!

I stepped back as Gilda struck just a _little_ wide. Come on you can do this. I keep weaving and dodging past the slowed down weapon barrage. Every once in a while I would get hit or I would knock them aside with my spear.

Of course Gilda took that opportunity to slash me with her halberd and I felt the extensive level of pain.

S-Shit _OWW_ that hurts! No don't wait…she hasn't moved out of my reach! I growled and the blade sections opened to fire. Her eyes opened wide but she wasn't fast enough to avoid it.

 _BOOOMM!_

My caretaker was thrown back, crashing against the wall. I winced as my shoulder protested, the spear having pressed into it. A glance of the screen told me her aura had dropped by a few percent with the railgun. Let's try _something_ else…

Just as she picked herself…she took a 200-gram thermite bomb to the face losing another couple percent. But despite that there was a wide smirk on her face

I glanced behind me and I paled…realized how screwed I was.

Dozens of swords and other assorted blades hung in the air behind me. With a wider smirk, she gestured her index finger to me. I grimaced and summoned a firestorm to act as a shield.

Gilda slammed into me, throwing me into the air with the dull back end of her halberd. I embedded the butt of my spear into the ceiling, and with a free hand ripped the metal out of the ceiling, bringing it down onto Gilda. I fired an unbraced round, throwing myself over 20 meters into the air.

I felt the smirk pull at my face as I slowed my fall…

It dropped the moment that my combat teacher burst from the rubble, knocking several ton slabs of rock with a roar of rage. I blinked and she was suddenly in my face a— _oh God_ help me.

She grabbed me by the neck and I got a good taste of the dirt as I practically _exploded._ I squealed as she pressed her heel against my hand, failing to retrieve my weapon. Wait… that's my right hand…with the…

" _Gahhh!_ " I felt my breath leave my lungs as she gave me a kick against my forehead. With a single kick she dropped my aura by ten percent, leaving me flat on my back.

Holy shit…that was _amazing._

"You, win…clearly." Mom chuckled and offered her hand. I took it and glanced at the damage I had caused. At my look she looked stern. I stopped her wig a wave of my hand.

"I'll clean it up mom. No need to say anything. I mean really…" She patted my head, and when no one was looking I gave her a big hug. She looked surprised for a moment, and a part of me liked the idea of blowing her up with some explosive alchemy. But that would be a bit of a dick move…wouldn't kill her of course if that wasn't obvious.

"You, probably have realized at least _some_ of your mistakes right?" I nodded meekly, looking down my gloved hands.

I attacked too fast and recklessly…should have spent more time analyzing a weakness. Or maybe _started_ with a spray of bullets…not like I could easily run out, I could just make more of the little ones and I had a belt filled to the brim with the ammo blocks for more.

"You didn't use your semblance…" I slapped my forehead in response…

I was…trying not to use it and it cost me, it would have told me exactly where I would need to hit. I didn't want to become reliant on it, but I wasn't someone like the Invincible Girl, I didn't have that level of skill to back it up yet.

Besides my semblance was…energy efficient, I could it use until my aura dropped to zero and then some. I knew there was still _more_ I could do with my semblance, and it should be part of my toolset. Besides using it actually made me more familiar with how to fight over time. I figured out what I needed to look for…

OWW!

I rubbed my head as Gilda gave me a light smack on the head. She had a small affectionate grin on her face. "You're doing well…but next time don't be so eager. You've learned the use of pole arms well, but this weapon is still new to you." I nodded and reached for my spear. I frowned when I realized I hadn't made use of its halberd mode yet.

"That was…AWESOME!" I only blinked as Taiyang materialized from nowhere like usual. He was surprisingly good at sneaking up on others though I was a league ahead of him, an old "skill" from _Before,_ I tended to blend into the background rather easily. I've gotten better over time as well, which probably works well for a sniper.

My attention focused on my friend's excited face as he jumped up and down. Umber shyly glanced out from behind him, her lips turned up into a smile.

Oh she's so cute…when her bunny ears twitch like that…

"You think?" I tilted my head at the taller guy, my left hand naturally dropping to my hip. He nodded with stars in his eyes and I couldn't help but puff my chest, feeling proud of myself. As well as rising on my tip toes…

He blushed for some reason and I pursed my lip feeling mildly confused. Ehh, whatever let me lower my feet. Umber was rolling her eyes and I quirked a brow.

"What?"

She looked frustrated. "Nothing…"

 _Okkaay_ then…

I compacted my weapon into its rifle mode and placed it on a sling on my back. A shroud popped out from somewhere to cover the sharp blade, a small addition to the sniper rifle.

"Yeah…I _am_ pretty great huh?" I gave Tai a thumbs up, and he grinned bumping my shoulder with his.

I was…happy…

But…I felt like I could do better…

I was knocked out of my pensive thoughts when Umber tapped my shoulder with a question in her eye. What does she want? I'm a little busy here…

"Have you thought of a name for your weapon?"

I froze.

What _was_ I going to name this thing…I had been tinkering and experimenting with the intricacies of this battle tool for months. But I had never bothered to come up with a name…

Spear…

Magic runes…

Norse/Viking inspired design…

That theory on Summer Rose…eye thing with Odin…

Oh I've _got_ it!

"I'll think I'll call her…Gungnir."

* * *

Months passed as I got the hang of using Gungnir…not as difficult to use as something like Harbinger or Crescent Rose but still…though most of the learning curve was in firing the weapon at the right times and right opportunities. We had been doing pretty well and we had managed to make our way through the class, the second semester having ended in August, the exact date eludes me. As for _their_ weapons.

Umber had deemed to name her weapon "Dusting Yari."

Not the most creative name really…

Taiyang does not have an actual weapon other than the gloves, which he doesn't bother to name. Which makes sense; the gloves aren't _particularly_ special after all…

Right now, the three of us along with mom were making our way through a _heavily_ controlled Grimm hunt. Since we were in a forest I was using my halberd mode to not take up too much space. One hand was near the trigger but I kept myself calm knowing it wasn't time yet. If there's one thing I like about the redesign of the trigger is the variable fire mode, down to 600 rpm right now. Much more controllable than a high fire rate machine gun, and somewhat stealthier. I could still switch to that fire rate if I ever needed it.

I kept my eyes wide open, and tapped one foot…a _pulse_ of energy giving me a brief image of the landscape around me. I noticed every little weakness within this 25-meter stretch of forest and skimmed over anything not of importance at that current time.

I had a difficult time picking out Grimm, but I could still barely do it. Anyway I picked up three Ursa Minor at 10 o'clock and seven meters distant. At 3 o'clock ten meters distant four beowolves growled if the twitching of Umber's ears were any indication.

" **AWOO!** " They know we're here…I relayed my information as rapidly as possible and felt my lips turn up into a sadistic smile as the Grimm stepped onto our trap. Two beowolves howled in agony as they were blown apart while the other two were frozen solid. One Ursa lost a leg while the others narrowly avoided the damage, only burns and scuffs marring their bodies.

"Hah!" Taiyang leaped forward getting a direct hit on the one legged Grimm. There was a sickening crack as he shattered the jaw with a single punch. His body glowed with an orange-red light and he—

 _BOOM!_ The Grimm exploded with the super shout, and I smirked as one of the younger bear Grimm came running.

I stepped forward as it lashed out, ducking below the deadly blow. I swung down imbedding my halberd into its chest. I opened fire and blew it apart with three dozen grams of thermite.

It fell to the ground, already dissolving as its body wracked with its death spasms. Multiple more explosions echoed throughout the forest, having implanted multiple mine arrays. I turned my cloak to the same shade and color as the forest for stealth and sneakily hid some mines. Most of them were of the ice freezing variety since it was quieter. Grimm had a strong susceptibility to the cold, which was why Atlas was relatively free of the weaker Grimm. Only the most ancient and powerful could tolerate the cold. So in Atlas Grimm attacks were comprised mainly of Alphas like beowolves and subtypes of polar bear like Ursa replaced our normal variety.

I counted 36 weak booms so about 36 dead Grimm…

Probably…I'll have to ask Umber…

"Yes, they're dead Summer." I nodded, and glanced back and forth wanting to double check. I found a shadow above us and tightened my grip, I lifted up my halberd, glaring at a roughly car sized Nevermore.

It shrieked as it took an ice round from Umber to the face, blinding it with a spike growing through both of its eyes. I shifted Gungnir into spear mode and opened fire. The over two-megajoule bullet snapped it's left wing and it spun around as it collapsed in the direction of Taiyang.

"RAHHH!" Taiyang leveled a roundhouse kick right into that little shit's skull and _shouted._ The sonic scream pulped the brain like structure of our sneaky Grimm and it fell dead.

Shouldn't forget about air Grimm…

I felt a _killing_ intent and twisted around, piercing through the neck of a beowolf. I watched it die with a lack of empathy as it desperately clawed for a grip. It's screaming loudened as the blades opened up tearing it's head clean off. I relaxed using my spear like a cane for a brief moment. There was a light tapping the ground and I unleashed another _pulse._

No Grimm in the vicinity…but I sense two feet firmly planted on the ground. To…my left I think?

"Gilda?" From the shadows of the forest, she appeared with a light raise of the eyebrow. There was an odd emotion I couldn't recognize at this distance dancing in her eyes. "How did we do?" I couldn't help but ask, feeling self-conscious.

She brushed back her hair before replying. "Sufficient, just some more self awareness and _please_ don't relax the moment you're out of combat." I gave her an "ok" symbol with my right hand and placed my grip near the trigger again.

If anyone was curious, my grip in spear mode was in the same area as the trigger, making it easier to fire. Because while I could activate it with my aura, it's a _small_ waste of energy I want to save up. Admittingly I have _Jaune_ level aura and regeneration, _possibly_ due to my whole reincarnation deal but better safe than sorry.

"Right are we done or?" She nodded and gestured back in the direction of home.

After about thirty minutes, as well as killing a few stray Grimm here and there we were back home. I opened up the door to my home and collapsed against the sofa. My friends had gone back to their parents a few minutes back, and I lazily leaned against the sofa. I channel surfed looking for something to watch, though there was nothing particularly good on. I think there was a few series that we'd equivalent to Earth series from the early 90s, including their equivalent of Die Hard.

…maybe I'll watch it later…

I glanced down at Gungnir tracing my thumb against the vast sets of ruins I had engraved onto her. I…

Kinda sleepy…talk later.

As I drifted off, I noticed through my blurry vision that someone was wrapping a warm blanket around my neck.

Thanks…Gilda…

* * *

"W-Why do we have to be here?" I asked Gilda with my embarrassment at its maximum extent.

"You _will_ be speaking with some old friends of mine and I want you to be at least presentable." I nodded warily and look around.

The first year of Signal had been over for a while and Gilda was preparing my friends and me after some negotiations with their parents for the 25th Vytal Festival taking place in Atlas. Man, Taiyang's parents are… _something._

' _Oh she's rather cute isn't she? You've bagged the jackpot son!'_

I felt a flush rise as the memory came unbidden and I turned my attention back to the other task. So I was currently buying some… _ahem_ undergarments as well as a few unneeded dresses to wear. Also a few more pairs of my more usual clothes, as well as a tuxedo of all things too.

Hey, I can wear whatever the _hell_ I want! Who's going to stop me? A wicked witch of the west?

The small clothing store was rather busy, full of people of all ages, genders or race. If it wasn't it's unlikely that my adoptive parent would allow me to enter this store. While the prejudice at Signal isn't too bad, elsewhere it's more obvious to see why the faunus in the White Fang became violent. It reminded me of the early 60s in some manners, and was rather… _disquieting._

I covered my mouth as I muttered quietly reading the label of some shirts. I had apparently only gotten taller since first semester. It was getting pretty expensive to get new clothes but breaking everything down into raw materials for new clothing made it up. That, or giving some of it to a nearby orphanage. On average the number of orphans per capita on Remnant rivaled or surpassed the rate of war torn or poor countries on Earth.

Right…I was on the topic of my growth spurt. At this point in time I was actually the tallest of our little fourso— _and_ I'm not going to finish that sentence. Out of our _group_ I was the tallest, with Taiyang and Cassin being the closest in height at 5'6 and 5'4 respectively. I was five feet and eight and a half inches tall, taller than I was expecting. I _really_ didn't want to be stuck at 5'2 for the rest of my second life. Of course in exchange I had issues with clothing being too tight on my body.

Made me wonder what R— _nope._

I gave the new pairs of bras the evil eye, remember the constant waves of aches as I suffered through my growth spurts. I never really had the same problems in my first life, since I never went through a _growth_ spurt. I was…even _as_ a guy no taller than 5'2. It was…a rather _touchy_ subject for me.

"Hmm…up another size…and up another band too?" I shook my head as I read the label. At this point I am fairly sure my soul was having _some_ effect on my body.

Stupid puberty…

"U-Uh hey…Summer." A stuttering Taiyang was not something I expected to see. His eyes glanced around the clothing area with some hesitation. Didn't take me long to realize he was a little embarrassed. His mother, a kind dark haired woman with a nice, almost chubby figure was right behind him. Though there was tenseness I recognized as muscle underneath.

She was wearing a black t-shirt with a pair of blue sweatpants and looked _adorable._ Reminded me a lot of…hmm like Inko Midoriya from Hero…Academia? You know, like a person made out of sunshine and puppies made manifest. She was also _tiny,_ maybe about five feet at _best._

So I was like eight and a half inches taller than the cute parent. I wanted to give her a hug…curse my weakness for cute things. I cut off my thought process as Taiyang gave me an odd look and I coughed politely accepting his mom's greeting.

"Hello." I gave her a light smile and waved before placing some extra bras into the cart. Taiyang's eyes followed their movements for a brief time before blinking and stopping.

"You're picking something out for the Vytal Tournament too?" I nodded as an answer to his mom's question. It was rather early for it, since there was another month to go before the actual Festival began. But getting it done early would save use from any headaches later.

"Yep, I can't say I care much for it though…" Taiyang seemed to agree while his mother clearly didn't, if her headshake was any indication.

She waved her hands in protest. "Oh _come_ on! It's always important to dress up go an occasion! What will the two of you do when you get ma—"

I immediately blanked out whatever she had to say next. Her son turned completely _scarlet_ and started yelling out some random words. Couldn't make it out from all his random babbling. I moved away from them to grab a medium women's plain white shirt.

"Meh." I stuck my tongue as I _analyzed_ the shirt, nothing interesting. A surprisingly normal piece of clothing. Though I heard there was some Schnee clothing line coming out with a line of carbon nanotube impregnated clothing. Heavily more effective than kevlar and with a hard backing plate serves as excellent protection for the more _affluent_ section of the population.

"Need to get me some of that…" I muttered and moved out from the section but not before Gilda pulled me back with an exasperated expression. I groaned and remained despite my misgivings.

I was allowed to move out of the aisle so Taiyang could and I quote "chat me up" whatever the hell that means. I sat my butt on a small bench where he could sit next to me if he wanted to. He did so, and I gave him a friendly smile before turning my attention to the crowd, my semblance lazily scanning the crowd. Mainly to practice, and get around the sensory overload weakness of my semblance. Too much, information at once can slow down my reactions in the worst scenarios.

Couldn't have that…

"So you've been doing rather well." I nodded leaning in his direction the slightest amount. "You look good." I quirked a brow at the abashed complement but took it in stride, not particularly minding.

"You aren't doing half bad yourself Tai." He smiled shyly with a light blush and I couldn't help but celebrate in my head. He was…rather an adorable idiot when he was flustered. He's started to toughen up of course, and I hope to move him away from can—ahem not _thinking_ about that.

"So you going to watch your sister fight in the tournament?" I nodded hoping to convey a "duh" expression. She was family, I wouldn't _not_ watch. "Well yeah it would be kind of rude to not watch my sister fight fight in the biggest tournament in all of Remnant." His eyes widened and I could tell he was mildly chastising himself for his mistake. Poor guy kept sputtering over his words, though he did have his moments of devilish (dorkish) flirtatiousness.

"Tai," He stopped. "Don't do that we're friends remember? There isn't much you can do to annoy me." Tai seemed to calm down and relax and I felt better myself. I _really_ don't want to deal with awkwardness. Taiyang gave me another sweet smile before leaning against the wall the bench was set against.

"How awesome do you think the tournament will be?"

I smirked. "I'm sure it'll be great."

* * *

Less impressive than I was expecting, it seemed that this year didn't have the best quality in Huntsmen teams with the clear exception of my sisters team and…is is that _Ironwood_ I spy in the distance? No wait don't go?!

 _And_ he's gone…

Um anyway if you were talking about about the stadium, it was _incredible_ in every way. It was an excellent late birthday gift no matter the quality of the teams fighting. Besides we were talking the difference between CRDL and RWBY. They weren't terrible, just…average really.

Besides that we were walking through the many little shops set up for the four day long Festival to moved toward a part held by some important folk. It was rather interesting how different it was from Canon, mainly due to being in Atlas rather than Vale. Regardless of the Festival we kept close to our parents, rather not get lost in a freezing cold place like this. We had rented a hotel nearby for the festival itself. We had gone up to shenanigans with my "semblance" since my circles have no need to be bigger than two inches in diameter. Mainly, it was…an interesting _opportunity_ to mess with Mister Schnee.

The guy was turning out to be a real asshole, even more so after Willow Schnee revealed she had been pregnant for three months. There was already an increasing amount of unrest between humans and faunus due to his actions. Though some of it was being counteracted by a new joint project between Atlas and Vale, which I suspected was the work on non-Dust power.

What little I had gleaned was that it wasn't to replace Dust but to _supplement_ it in some manner? Also there have been some advancements in computer technology also coming from an Atlas products project. A Remnant equivalent of Google basically. They had also opened up about a neuromorphic computer they were developing. Whatever they were, they were _efficient_ at the whole simulating neurons thing. There were a few that were wary of the technology, but most didn't care for the implications. Mainly because neural networks were too useful a technology to pass up.

"So how's it feel to be 14?" I paused in my internal conversation as Glynda butted in.

I hummed for a moment as I thought about it. "I don't… _feel_ any different. Maybe a little smarter a little wiser but…meh." She nodded at the response. She had been invited herself along with her team thought that had separated to enjoy the festival for a while. They wouldn't be staying though, since they were making plans on who to send to the Singles.

"Fair enough…" My blonde headed Huntress trainee led me to a stand where they were selling some popcorn. I purchased the over priced confection with the allowance Gilda had gifted me. I took a bite and grinned at the good taste.

I couldn't help but look and around, marveling at the diversity of people just _being._ At the least nothing seems particularly out of place. I popped another piece of puffed corn as we wandered the full streets around the floating stadium. I couldn't help but look at it with wariness, feeling that the stadium could fall on us at any moment. I mean _really_ that thing must weigh thousands, maybe even millions of tons. It's as big as the larger stadium on Earth, but _floating_ in the air.

"Don't be so paranoid little sister. There is _nothing_ capable of bringing down Amity Arena." I wouldn't be so sure of that big sister. Heck if I knew the composition and used my semblance I could probably bring that floating thing down. _But_ I might be giving myself too much credit and everyone else too little. Despite my abilities I'm no god, and everyone around me is stronger by a suitable amount. Except for Umber and Cassin of course. Umber is shorter and lighter than me while Cassin just isn't very good.

GAHH!

Glynda lightly swatted the back of my head with the back of her hand, giving me a look. "Stop thinking about how you can blow up the stadium on your own. You and I both know you don't have the means or the will to do that. Too much of a softy despite your…lack of people skills." I growled and wrapped my arms around my chest, knowing it was true. I might lack social _skills_ but not empathy,I…don't like _hurting_ people.

"Yeah, yeah little good witch." She narrowed her eyes but walked in step with me anyway. "Now, _who_ was that guy in the militaryish get up." She stiffened, and a noticeable scowl formed on her face.

"That would be James Ironwood, he's a promising third year from Atlas Academy."

Oh this will be _great._

"You don't seem to be fond of him." She _flushed_ and I knew victory was within my grasp. She backed away and a teensy _pulse_ of aura let me catch up. " _Ohhh_ big sister what haven't you been telling me?"

"I don't know what you're talking about." That one vein on her forehead was twitching.

"What kind of altercation happened between the two of you?" She kept denying me with a flustered disposition. "A powerful rivalry, a failed romance, or did you compete for the heart of a fair maiden or a fine gentleman." At her expression I gave her an easy grin. "Hey, I'm not gonna judge what you're into."

"Gah _shut_ up! _Or_ should I be asking when you plan to tie the knot with Taiyang?" My ears suddenly flushed as she turned the tables and she crossed her arms around her chest with a smug grin.

"You'll pay…" She rolled her eyes and I yelped as she poked me on the butt. My eyes widened when I saw Doctor Polendina happily chatting with a fox faunus. I noticed the light blush on both of their faces. The fox's tail was lightly brushing against the doctor's chest and waist in a rather sweet fashion.

I guess he got himself a girlfriend… Perfect teasing material…but I have better things to ask. I picked up the pace, wanting to catch up with the professor. Hopefully I would get to know his lady friend too, she might have some of her own insights. Goodwitch scrambled to follow after me, not trusting me to be alone apparently. A bit patronizing but better safe than sorry.

Both adults noticed my excited approach and stopped to meet me. The women looked a little suspicious but also some mild interest danced in her rather pretty eyes. Polendina was happy to see, if the rough handshake was my indicator.

"Ah Summer! It is good to see you in person again. How have your studies gone?" I gave him a thumbs up and then turned my attention to his friend. The red haired fox faunus's tail swished back and forth as she analyzed me, just as I analyzed her back. Polendina blinked as he looked between our intense gazes.

He released an "aha." And stepped between us "Oh I haven't introduced you." He pulled the older women closer, and her tail naturally and protectively curled around his waist. "This is Doctor Kaneru Kitsune, a specialist in aerospace and Dust chemistry." The Faunus reluctantly offered her hand and I took it, eager to get to know the scientist.

"Hello. Names Summer Rose." It was easy to give a sense of happy go luckiness with this body. Whether I had simply become a good actor or if this body had a better emotional balancet than my old one, it changed little. It…was nice to talk to people without them thinking you were weird or creepy.

"It's…nice to meet you, Summer was it?" I nodded in response. The Faunus seemed to have something on her mind. She opened her mouth until the doctor gave her an unapproving gaze. She stopped and cleared her throat. "Uh, nevermind then."

Hmm…

"Right," I faced the doctor wanting to have some questions answered. "So Doc what have you been up to?" He adjusted his white coat, and his eyebrows shifted as an indication of excitement.

"Oh so _many_ things young child. In fact walk with me, I can provide you an escort for that little party."

* * *

Goddamn this place is fancy beyond belief…it's a really good thing that my mom knows fashion when she sees the need. Which made me remember that I never described my outfit.

I had been outfitted a glossy black dress that seemed to accentuate whatever curves I did have, which was a fair amount actually. There was a gradual and glittery shift to white as the dress ended past my knees. Glynda herself wore a _beautiful_ white dress with accents of purple and black that looked pretty good.

The doctor sat us down in a whirlwind hurry and I winced as my aura took the surprising amount of damage.

"Ahem!" He got back into readiness. "I have been accelerating our computational technology. Improving and reducing software bloat, improving the neural network of the CCT to a more useful and safer method. Also made some headway into better robotic technology, including prosthetics. Though I've had some issues with building effective ones."

Hmm…he could try mimicking what's in nature? I know artificial muscles are something that can be made, usually out of strong-coiled fibers or carbon nanotubes for the higher limits. If you want good prosthetics you need to make them compatible with the organics nerves within a human. Maybe try some neural lace technology if you have it. It tends to reduce the immune system rejections of metal and flesh.

"Neural lace?" I blinked at the question and realized I said some of that out loud. Though admittingly I planned to tell them that anyway.

"Basically a mesh of electronics you can inject to interface with the human nervous system. It allows for someone to monitor the individual neurons within the human brain in fact the mesh electronics can have neurons networks grow _within_ the three dimensional mesh."

The two scientists and Glynda were left stunned for at least a few moments. It didn't take long for my senses to be overloaded as the doctor started to speak at a superhuman pace. I answered his questions to the best of my abilities. Mainly how to make mesh electronics based on what little I remember. Eventually we moved on to a different topic mainly on how they improved on the rocket front.

"Quiet well… " Miss Kitsunes tail swished as we switched to her field of expertise. "We've done well on the building of various experimental engines. One 80,000 pound thrust Kerolox engine, a 200,000 pound thrust Hydrolox engine, and a Methalox engine of equal size. They're the most suitable _chemical_ based propulsion systems for a multi use rocket." I nodded knowingly, all the multi use rockets I had ever known made use of those fuels.

"Though…there are some more _potent_ power sources for a much greater payload. You wouldn't know about them would you?"

"A rather loaded question Doctor Kitsune but yes I do and I…really recommend you be careful with that line of research." She quirked a brow, and gestured for me to elaborate. "Because that technological path can lead to weapons of mass destruction." Her tail flattened at my blunt response and Glynda glanced around. Thankfully no one was close enough to hear us even if they were a Faunus.

"Oh…alright then." I closed my eyes and gave her a polite nod. Dust was powerful but no weapon that used Dust compared to the raw firepower of nuclear explosions. Mainly due to the limited dissipation of those magic like rocks. Alchemy has similar restrictions, a reaction can burn out after a certain distance away from the array.

"Oh hey Summer!" I tilted my head to face Taiyang as the little bugger popped out of nowhere on the tail end of the conversation. He must have noticed us come and followed us to talk. A timid Cassin was dressed in a stuffy tux that he obviously didn't like, followed by _something_. A brief blur was revealed to be Umber who instantly made a beeline for Dr. Kitsune.

Clearly a big fan…

As Taiyang sat next to me I felt excitement for what the final singles round would be like. I hoped it would be good…

* * *

" **Glynda Goodwitch vs. James Ironwood!** " The unknown voice announced the match with gusto.

Oh dear…that is going to be an intense fight isn't it? I watched enraptured by the one in a lifetime opportunity to watch the prospective Huntsmen fight. I was as close as possible to the action, and I _analyzed_ every little defect within the arena. I need to know what comes next.

Both students were deathly silent as they walked onto the stage. I could notice my sister's subtle rage, the twitching fingers aching to bury themselves in their opponents eyes. And no I wasn't exaggerating for dramatic effect…which was rather terrifying.

Some sweat dropped from Ironwood's oddly rugged and handsome face, his hand twitching against the obvious shape of his hand cannon.

Both fighters advanced for a couple of steps…

 _BOOM!_

I held back a breath as a shot rang out, but let it out as Glynda dodged it with ease. She raised a brow toward the Atlas student as if saying "Come on now." His eyes flashed with ire and he shot off a volley of even more intense bullets. With a wave of her weapon a shield formed to block them.

To her shock Ironwood rushed her, using the Dust glyph as a jumping off point. His fall sped up, and he used his gun like a club knocking her aside with ease. She scowled and stopped herself by _stabbing_ her crop into the ground.

I could barely keep up as a storm of stone bullets caught Ironwood off guard. He didn't stop however and ducked under them, shooting at his opponent's legs. Both students _blurred_ out of existence practically flash stepping with their speed. Waves of psychic energy and bullets shook the stadium.

" **An impressive start…** " I nodded in muted agreement as I watched the practically God like fight below.

I didn't have a clue on how Ironwood was lasting so long against my sister. The only guess I had been being an absurd amount of aura, an unseen semblance, or being just that skilled.

Even now he was almost robotically analyzing the situation with a cold stare. He sidestepped a blast of telekinetically thrown firestorm. Almost certainly the work of Thermobaric Dust. Another blast was put out as one of his bullets collided in an ice expansion countering the attack.

Glynda leaped into the air forcefully dragging debris along with her. With a minor application of Earth Dust she threw down an artillery barrage of sharp pillars of rock. He toggled a switch on his gun, and blackish purple orb flew free from his gun. Glynda dropped down like a stone, falling face first into one of her own rocks.

"I won't lose…not to you…" She twisted her hips, and spun like a top. White energy flowed from the bottle, and I gripped the stand as a tornado obscured our view. My _reinforced_ eyes tracked Ironwood as he used the gravity Dust mode to fly through the storm. He shivered and turned around with full force, I heard him curse as his attempted gun clubbing failed. Instead the tornado was engulfed in flames, and I could see _nothing._

I glanced curiously toward the aura meters recently added this year. Eyeing Glynda at 76% and Ironwood at 69%. The dust cleared…

Ironwood bashed his skull against my sister, throwing her five meters up. He _burst_ up from the ground, gripping her neck and smashing her face against the concrete. She threw him off with a push up leaping ten meters and taking possession of his body. He resisted every step of the way, and with little fanfare she began her all out assault.

I winced as he met the hard concrete over and over again. Each time he lost more and more of his shield while Glynda only seemed to become stronger.

But just as his aura dropped to 37% he leaped into action. His gun glowed with a blinding flash of light and my sister was thrown back by a burst of superheated plasma. He smirked shooting three more plasma blasts that all made their marks. He rushed over to get in close and with a flash of black light his pistol turned ten times heavier, this time bludgeoning it against her lower stomach.

She lashed out with a vicious semblance enhanced kick. Using her telekinesis to add an extra _kick_ to her attack. The two students met in the middle, a devastating aura shockwave vibrating the energy barrier around the station.

"Both are down to 22%, this final bout will determine the match." An awestruck Umber absently hummed in agreement. Of all the fights this was among the most impressive.

 _BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!_

Three shots rang out, bullets cracking and shattering against the bubble and against another potent glyph. The future general was breathing heavily as the strain of battle caught up with him. My blonde sister was in no better condition, he chest moving in and out as she caught her breath. Both of their mouths started to move.

"One final…" Glynda started it.

"ATTACK!" Ironwood ended it.

He pressed a switch on his hand cannon and the white and Cyan light of Breeze and Thunder Dust became obvious. He braced himself as Glynda instead prepared a vile of… _energy_ Dust.

Oh golly…that is going to _sting._

She waved her focusing crop…

Ironwood _overloaded_ his super pistol…

A flash of burning purple and white light collided in the center; a light breeze blew us back from the explosion. My grip bent and warped the steel underneath my fingers.

"I…" Cassin had nothing to say except for one thing. "Hunters are _crazy._ " I nodded with a smirk as the battle came to a climatic close.

Both students were standing on unsteady feet, and we couldn't tell who had lost yet. Ironwood took a step forward…until he lost his footing as his aura broke. He had collapsed to the ground while my sister won on a small tiny slimmer of her own soul power.

" **Glynda Goodwitch has won the match!** "

* * *

"Their both promising students aren't they Ozpin?" The wizard snorted at the Atlas scientist's statement but didn't deny it. To him they were both promising students, the hallmarks of their current generation. They were also much like their parents, discrete and trustworthy(on Glynda's part anyway). Though he knew he could put his trust in Ironwood.

He had watched the match closely observing the aggression and contempt that Glynda held for the Atlesian student. Despite that she clearly held back on any killing intent. Her semblance was incredibly strong and versatile, we her that she as inherent or due to her own skill it didn't matter. She held great promise and he wanted to see if he could let her in on his inner circle in the future.

' _Perhaps but I may be thinking too far ahead. There is still time yet, but whatever she decides, I will not deter her.'_

He looked down from his vantage point, directing his piercing gaze toward the silver eyes excitedly congratulating her adoptive sibling. The Headmaster grinned at the out of character action. He found Summer a rather antisocial child but she did care deeply for those few she considered family or friend. Her expression was always rather neutral, an odd resting face for the child. She was also rather pessimistic about humanity in some respects based on the statements and mutterings he had overheard over the last two years.

But despite not quite believing in humanities better nature she did think they could change out of pragmatism at the least.

He wondered how such a person could become a protector of humanity…

"Professor Ozpin?" The old man blinked, roughly acknowledging the confused young doctor. Doctor Polendina was not himself part of the inner circle but he was a closely watched man. His technological experiments could serve as potent weapons against Salem and her forces. In the worst case he could at least save humanity if not the planet. The gods were generous enough to have created or _placed_ Remnant in a world full of vast space.

If the world was out of harm's way…

"Ozpin…" He cut off his current train of thought, returning to the present.

"My apologies I was…thinking…"

He smirked as watched down from his tower, feeling a sense of hope for the first time in several decades.

"We do live in…interesting times don't we Doctor?

"O-of course…"

* * *

In a distant place an ancient being born of darkness watched the world pass by. The witch of the west sat on her throne finding nothing of real note. One of her elders had attempted to pass on a message but was destroyed by a powerful Huntress and a massive quantity of Dust exploding.

At least publicly…there was something _off_ about the story. But she didn't know what. Other than the Grimm being more restless and active than usual there was little she could do other than investigate. She perked up as the loud metallic steps of _something_ approached from behind her. She turned facing a grand dark night easily seven and a half feet tall. It's armor was angular and pointed and it held onto a greatsword half as long as third own body.

"Anything new Berserker?" They shook their head, rattling their armor. Her servant had proven strong and resilient, having succeeded in discretely killing several huntsman out in the wilds. Salem sighed and watched through the eyes of her many Seers.

"Keep searching!" The human straightened at her command and and nodded before taking their immense bulk elsewhere.

Salem could feel the winds shift in her opponent's favor. She would not allow _that_ human to win. So let a new game begin once again…

"Because I won't lose."

* * *

 **Author's Note:**

I was thinking...only thinking...of perhaps answering non spoilery questions from the reviews or even a PM if anyone who follows me is willing. I was also thinking if anyone knew a good place to get fan art made? Honestly the current picture is a placeholder, as I have a slightly different idea for what _my_ Summer looks like. That or I find a drawing program to make an array. One of those two would be great...


	9. Interlude 6-1

**Author's Note:**

Welcome to the following two Interludes for this story, The first one will be rather plot relevant as you will soon see. but otherwise I'm happy to have gotten out these Interludes. In other news I've finally hit eighteen years of age, and have started writing chapter seven. It will likely range between ten and twenty thousand words but lower your expectations to the lower end. Anyway please follow and review, tell me what you think.

* * *

 **Interlude 6-1 : Atlas Aura Science 2: In for a P.E.N.N.Y, in for a Pound**

"Excellent work! You've finally done something right for once." The aide grumbled at Polendina's half insult half compliment but didn't complain admitting his mistakes.

Doctor Kitsune felt mirth at their misery but turned back to her own work. There had been a number of breakthroughs with their Dust and Aura research. They found that it was possible to force aura to solidify into Dust with incredibly dangerous and very explosive results. The only issue was that locating these clouds would take great deals of time and could deplete the deposits of Dust unless they can create more.

A difficult prospect for them. But there was a more energy efficient if somewhat slow method. Instead by using a large crystal preferably of quartz or diamond and injecting it with aura you can form what she had dubbed an aura crystal. An object that radiated with life energy. There were multiple possible uses they had hypothesized for it. Some were tested and much to her delight were proven correct. A source of nature could change the Crystal into a certain type of Dust. Though it made her wonder what type of Dust would arise from the activities of modern human civilization.

"How does the research on phased array satellites go?" The fox Faunus perked up her significant others question. After the 25th Vytal Festival they had received a great deal of Lien from an anonymous (Ozpin) source. An idea had been spawned as a supplement to the CCT.

A massive satellite constellation built up of thousands of low orbiting machines. The great numbers were needed to support the modern and ever increasing consumption of bandwidth. She believed they would only need a router the size of a small pizza box to connect to the network reducing the potential if unlikely danger of an attack. It made her paranoid, why was Ozpin so worried about something so impossible _unless_ he knew something was coming.

' _Don't be ridiculous…he might just be as paranoid as I am.'_

"It's going well…trying to work out an appropriate power source for it. Those new fangled solar panels are easy enough to make when we have a mature silicon wages industry to exploit." The other lab workers around her seemed to agree nodding with conviction.

"What about Dust or _this_ nuclear power." She stopped her scribbling and her flat out expression told the doctor all he needed to know.

"Neither technology is mature enough. We haven't attempted any experiments in forming an aura field and this _nuclear_ energy while it's been tested in the lab has no real world testing." Especially with how _dangerous_ the technology ultimately was. Weapons capable of killing _millions_ was not something she wanted in the hands of any of the kingdoms. In fact the weapons could _only_ have uses against humans and Faunus. The Grimm were too spread out for nuclear weapons to do any significant damage unless it was a single Grimm of immense size and mass and those are too rare to be worth the expense and danger.

"Fair enough…how efficient can you design them?" Kaneru thought about it for a moment before shaking her head.

"About 27% with silicon though there are some other systems based on our phased arrays. A trillion tiny carbon nanotube rectennas atop a mix of aluminum, copper and nickel to convert solar energy to electricity at up to 90% efficiency at a lower cost then panels."

"Of course…" The aerospace scientist turned to her counterpart in the more…biological field.

"Now anything on your end?"

"Well…sort of but…"

"I understand, research can be pretty slow sometimes."

"We'll work it out…"

* * *

A video played a scene of controlled chaos, dozens of scientists moving back and forth as _something_ was being tested on. Doctor Polendina came into the scene with a bedraggled appearance though his happiness was obvious to any who could watch.

"Experiments have been going well…we've learned a lot about the nature and relationship between aura and Dust." The image blurred as the man dragged the camera elsewhere. He set it down near a testing stand containing a chunk of molten metal.

"For example we've expanded the number of materials which can be imbued with aura though for a Hunter this would already be well known." He brought out carbon powder and with some hidden mixing the metal glowed with a generic white light. Once the metal coupled he was left with what seemed like a normal steel alloy. But it was no longer a normal metal.

"By mixing the right crystalline materials with liquid metal we can imbue a metal with an aura field. Once it's part of the metal it becomes stable no longer shifting into Dust when exposed to energy." The metal was swiftly remelted and now mixed with a handful of Earth Dust. The magical substance was then used up as a reinforcing agent to the high carbon steel.

He grabbed the sheet of forged steel and tapped his knuckles against the metal. There was a weak flash of light and the doctor fed aura into the metal.

"The metal naturally feeds on a surrounding source of free floating aura keeping it's properties functional if reduced in low aura environments. Besides that the properties of the metal can be set at forging by the right applications of aura and Dust. Just as Hunters can change the properties of material so can our new machines." He gestured to a stack of small mechanical devices behind him. They resembled eggs in their shape, the computerized machines having a visor shaped Hard light screen. "After monitoring the manner in which aura interacts with a substance we simulated the metal to recreate those properties mechanically."

"It's…rath—" A feminine voice called the man from off screen. He frowned and glanced back at the camera.

"I'll be back…" The camera cut off moving on to another video.

* * *

The doctor appeared again this time with a less unruly appearance. He coughed and Doctor Kitsune took up some of the camera space.

He coughed. "The second log for our department. Now focusing on our computer technology and its connection with aura. He clapped his hands summoning a strange four legged and robot and another humanoid one. The first robot was yellow and black balancing on four thin legs. It had a long neck ending in a grasping claw and moved incredibly naturally. The second one was a faceless white robot with open wires around its head and chest area; it outsized the doctor by a fair amount.

(Basically imagine MiniSpot and the Atlas robot from Boston Dynamics)

"Our work on robotics has gone quiet well, though going from a hard coded system to machine learning lead to some… _incidents._ These advanced robots are the prototypes for future robotic machines. The applications for the medical industry, mass manufacturing is endless. Though there are some military ones as well." He selectively looked away as the two robots danced, showing off their advanced movement appearing natural despite their electrical hydraulic systems.

"We believe more advanced models could one day supplement Huntsmen in the field acting as cannon fodder to throw against our enemies." An amused glint was reflected on Polendina's eyes. "You could say our machines would serve as our beowolves and Ursa while Huntsmen would be elder Grimm." He clears his throat as he moved on to another related subject. "We've had some measured success in aura infusion similar to that of Huntsmen." He still looked disappointed however. "But it's not as protective, which is obvious in hindsight."

The camera shifted to a more open view, and one could examine the equipment laden throughout the lab. One display stood out in particular, a large shiny chip that seemed heavily parallelized. He picked it up with an odd carefulness.

"Now this is the most recent masterpiece. A carbon based neuromorphic computer fueled by aura. It's the solution to our problem…once I can get it working I mean." The video cut off in a sudden bout of static.

* * *

He appeared again…

"Log ugh...3, no Log 6. Both our projects have gotten well off the ground after about six months? Yes, that's right. We've gone quiet far in such a short amount of time. At our current pace the rocketry program should be ready in another year. Our aura and Dust research should be ready for a possible unveil around the 27th Vytal Festival."

There was a loud _Thump_ that made him flinch though he relaxed when the sound didn't return.

"Anyway there has been progress made on making aura more effective for a machine intelligence. I've made attempts to examine one's brain wave through an MRI to translate them into neural code." His Visage was now tainted by frustration.

"It has not been going well…" Electrical static damaged the camera and the footage stopped.

* * *

"Log 12 date… December 12th…" The doctor fidgeted under the scrutiny of the camera. He no longer was in the best condition, his lab coat was messy, he was uncombed and unshaven.

"We…may have been overzealous in our research, not thinking about the consequences. Should have listened to the child's warnings for restraint."

The doctor remained silent paying special attention to the various aura crystals laid haphazardly across the desk. He sighed, gripping his beard in an ancient habit. He lifted one crystal into his hand, kneading the power source between his fingers.

"It seems I may have gone a little overboard on my brainwave programming." He slumped in his chair. "Perhaps I should go back to the beginning."

He flinched as a _puny_ feminine voice asked for him. With a wave of his hand a hologram formed, demonstrating a roughly brain shaped and massed computer system. The skeleton of _something_ formed around it, still incomplete.

"I…started a new sub project within the Aura research institute. I was attempting to create something that could _replace_ Huntsmen in the field. I called it P.E.N.N.Y or the Polendina Evolving Neural Networking Youth. Just a little joke, since it could one day replace Huntsmen students." There was a bitter tone in the scientist's voice. "Just my luck that it wasn't a joke in the end…"

"Fa—sir?" He palmed his face as a youthful voice cut through the thick atmosphere.

"What is it?" His voices became something kinder and warmer as the young "women" waited.

"I…it's nothing…not important." The voice clicked off, and Polendina released a disappointed breath.

"The…project was simple, first I would create a massive neural network on a diamond-graphen matrix. That would serve as the primary processing center of our Hunter machines. However I needed something as much like a Huntsmen as possible. I needed to find the root of what generates aura. Most of our aural science only _stores_ it, generating a supply of it I nearly impossible."

Two images popped up on the camera, an image of two separate brain recordings used as an apparent template for an artificial intelligence.

"Using my brain as well as Dr. Kitsunes brain as a template for the P.E.N.N.Y neural processor. It helped in our endeavor needed to replicate the soul and by using a combination of various techniques we succeeded beyond my wildest dreams. Two years of research has led to this. At this point we only need to create a biomechanical body to house her consciousness." The man seemed nervous, licking his lips and scanning the room for some unseen enemy.

"The issue is…this is beyond the scope of what the project intended…I've already shut down all the research into this, leaving only the less ethically questionable options left. It's a dangerous and tumultuous time with the rise of tension between Faunus and humans, the increase in banditry and Grimm attacks…but personally." He leaned inward as if to say an important secret.

"I believe we can make it past this rough spot. P.E.N.N.Y could even be the key to this." He stopped talking, becoming completely serious. He touched something behind the camera and the screen winked out for New Years…

* * *

 **Author's Note:**

I hope you find this interesting. I honestly want to go in a different direction than the mostly fantasy slightly sci fi vision of Canon Remnant. Kind of a more even mix between say Crysis, Halo, and with a little bit of magic built of that. It should work out well...


	10. Interlude 6-2

**Interlude 6-2 : Ideals and Alchemy.**

"So Summer said she wanted to show us some biological alchemy she was working on right?" Cassin asked the small bunny Faunus as she tilted her ears in the direction of her friend's large home.

"Yeah?" Umber couldn't focus very well her ears straining to pick up the sound of music coming from the rough direction of their friends room. Her eyes widened in realization and she turned to the two boys accompanying her. "Did we ever tell her _when_ we were coming?" They both shook their heads and she sighed, palming her face.

The three children carefully snuck up on the house, Umber grabbed the spare key Summer had given her so they could come in when they wanted to visit. The silver eyed girl didn't trust the boys with her keys, thinking they would loss them. Umber knew from experience that she wasn't wrong with her claim.

She shut the door behind the small gaggle of teenagers, straining to listen to the music. Some song about ideals was all she could make out. She heard some singing and humming from Summer. Umber grinned and pulled out a Scroll to record the future blackmail material. She shushed the boys asking them to be as silent as possible. They stayed as quiet as possible not wanting to alert Summer to their presence.

"H-Hey let's be _very_ quiet we're hunting Summers." Umber gave Cassin a disgusted expression and he shrugged before waving them over.

The three teenagers were shown a sight they would remember for quite a while.

Their brunette friend was still in her pajamas, wearing a loose white blouse with a pair of golden bunny pajamas. She was wearing a big pair of wireless black headphones, though the music was still easy to hear. The three curled in close, reducing their surface area as much as possible.

' _Oh my gods that is adorable.'_ Umber couldn't help but think that about her friend, covering a snicker.

The girl was enthusiastically shaking her hips as she danced to a song apparently from _wherever_ she came from.

"~You love the contradiction. Shaking _youuu~._ " The girl spun on her heels, her face split into a wide grin. "~Even when you fall to one step! You can breathe again in one step~" She spun a second time, tapping her bare feet against the floor of her room.

"Should we say something." Umber shook her head wanting to catch the _whole_ thing on I do for posterity.

The tone of the song changed to a darker one yet Summer bounced from one leg to the other regardless. " _OHH_ it goes on! Every day all the same like a game!" Her voice was clearly unused to singing, but there was a sense of joy that Umber liked to hear in her friend's voice. The brunette jumped back three times in a simple made up move.

Summer lifted her finger into the air with a serious expression. "~But when I close my eyes…I feel alive…" She stepped back with her left. "And maybe that's the reason why I'm."

" _DREAMING!_ " She jumped into the air in an almost practiced spin, practically scream singing the word. Her singing continued to rise in its vibrant and hopeful tone and Umber couldn't help but tap her feet to the beat of the music.

Summer was jumping in place, moving her leg back and forth like a swing. She grabbed her hips, twisting them with a cheeky and happy expression. She practically skipped with each of her movements.

"~So we just look away for a moment~" Summer stopped in a crouch as if preparing for something. "~And we see that we can be the…" The athletic girl coiled her legs.

" _~Hero's straight out of our dreams~_ " She jumped almost to the ceiling spinning like a top the entire time reminding Umber of Glynda. She gracefully landed on a single foot, holding her arms out to balance.

The door creaked…

' _Shit!_ "

Summer froze as she took stock of her surroundings. Her forehead became even sweatier, watching her close friends stare right back. Her entire body was shaking almost in anxiety, and despite her condition managed to utter one thing.

"EEUGH!" Her entire face turned beet red and she dove for the covers of her bed hiding her below the safety of her blanket.

Both the boys were shocked as their reserved friend _exploded._

"We should give her…some space." The two boys nodded though she noticed Taiyang's eyes lingered on Summer's form for a moment.

Umber whimpered as she made eye contact with Summer…

"I'm so dead…"

"Please no more…I don't need to use explosive alchemy." Umber groaned as her body sizzles with hear from working with some more volatile alchemy with Summer. Her friend had been riding her the entire time clearly bent out of shape by the invasion of her privacy.

There had been several minor "accidents" that slowly drained her aura over the past hour. One array had _somehow_ activated blasting her in the face with a small explosion.

"Shut up Bun-Bun I'm working." The rabbit Faunus stopped her torturous work to glimpse whatever her friend was doing. Two differing circles were visible, with one being more complex. The array was made up of circles within circles as well several half circles. In the center two circles overlapped with one another while three smaller circles were nested within. The other circle made use of circles and lines as well and Umber tilted her head curious on what these arrays did.

"Uh Summer what…do these arrays do?" The silver eyes pointed to the arrays as a sign to come closer. The three 14 and a half year olds scooted over, their curiosity overwhelming their common sense. Both had forgotten that alchemy was incredibly dangerous and was even capable of circumventing aura in the right circumstances.

Summer's expression became rather scary for her poor friends. "They're both chimera creation array variants." Only Umber had a niggling of what Summer was on about. "What you do is grab two living beings." As an example she placed two action figures, one a beowolf and the other an Ursa. "And _combine_ the two creatures together into one functional hybrid."

"That…is ethically questionable _beyond_ belief." Summer shrugged at Cassin's deadpan.

"I'm only studying them for a little project on something…" She clicked a button on her scroll and an odd buzzing sound answered the call. Umber looked on, quiet mesmerized as a large dragonfly hovered around her friend's hand. The insect looked normal except for what appeared to be a tinybackpack _melded_ into its organic body. Using her scroll like a controller, Summer steered the insect around like a game character, the bug listening to its commands with ease.

"That…is both kind of cool and _really_ creepy." Taiyang replied with note of horror, Summer only giggled with mirth in response and the dragonfly left.

"Oh yeah…gets worse…I can make them _bigger._ " Cassin's face drained of all color at her statement. "All I need to do is whip up an alchemically created closed circulatory system, and they can grow to the size of birds or even crocodiles if they're beetles or centipedes."

' _Oh…no Summer is a mad scientist!'_ Umber couldn't help but recoil from Summer, who raised an eyebrow at her. The brown haired girl did feel mildly guilty at the hurt in her expression.

"It's…not that bad, at least I won't try to use the _other_ array." Her ears flattened and she made a beeline toward the biological alchemist.

"That other circle…" Summer flushed and swept her bangs aside in a bashful fashion.

"It…can…mix the user with an animal…" She didn't meet eyes with Umber…

…

…

"Your birth parents were a bunch of weirdos Sums." The girl didn't disagree with Taiyang's conclusions. She put down her work, clearly having had enough.

"Maybe we should do something more…"

"Normal?" Umber completed the sentence with a bemused smirk. Summer smiled sweetly, exposing her straight teeth.

"Yeah, that would be nice…"

"Play Mario Kart?"

"Yes…!"

* * *

 **Author's Note:**

With this first chapter on Alchemy I wanted to show Summer in a more casual environment than she's usually been seen, she's become a near expert on biological alchemy, elemental alchemy and some limited control of other forms of it. But knowledge doesn't do much for socializing. If this chapter isn't what you hoped, the next ones will go into far more greater detail.


	11. Early Days Arc: Chapter 7

**Author's Note:**

So I'm back again. I've got my rough storyline for this fanfiction now coming into shape and there only be one more chapter(and one or two Interludes) between the start of Beacon, where _shit_ will get crazy as hell. I've set up the basic lore, and will add a fuller background to Alchemy(as well as magic in general) over the course of this story. I'm starting relatively small for now.

In other news I've set up a schedule for how I'm updating stories...I'll be alternating between this and Paradigm shift. One week I'll work with this story as well as some shorter length fan fictions Im working on, and the other week will be spent with Paradigm Shift and it's corresponding shorter fics.

Now that that's done hope you enjoy. And I don't own any of the franchises reference here...

* * *

 **Chapter Seven: Flies By…**

Is this really necessary? I questioned my friendship with Umber as she dragged me to a _pool_ party of all things. We had been both been invited by one of the richer students, the daughter of some old Huntsman family. I hadn't really ever paid much attention to her name. Kind of had my own thing going on. Whoever she was, she was almost certainly loaded with cash and prestige. But despite that she was a very kind hearted women having no issues with faunus or people of less fortune. She would invite people she believed she could be friends with.

The girl was around our age and apparently rather excited to be our new friend. I was feeling rather nervous because we were going in our swimsuits, with Umber wearing a light chocolate brown two piece bikini. While I was wearing a white bikini top and black swim trunks. I wasn't very comfortable wearing…anything like that, no offense to Umber or anyone else of course. While we walked, Umber had a big towel to cover herself though I went without it. I _mean_ I had a towel but…I preferred my cloak which I had brung.

I tapped Umber on the shoulder to get her attention, she made eye contact as we walked. "Are you sure it's today?" Umber groaned and gave me a push, so now _I_ was forced to take the lead.

" _Yes_ Jayleen's party is today. The invitation said June eighth and _today_ is June the 8th." I felt weary and wondered when Umber had become the confident and social one. It was probably around the time she convinced me to join a regional Tournament later this year. She said it would help with refining my skills against peer opponents _outside_ of Signal.

But let's get back on track. I peered over to the _huge_ house sitting on a hill. We could make out music from here, _Reinforcement_ providing me with an auditory boost. From what I can it was an all girls party mainly because what's her faces mom didn't trust her around most of the boys except for Taiyang, Cassin and three other boys. That isn't exactly much of a party so just girls was okay with them.

Guess I'm _technically_ in a weird Grey area with all of that, not that I would advantage of that. They're in the fourteen to fifteen age range and if you go by when I fully woke up I'd be like…twenty. I've never been interested in dating anyway(at least not right now)

I came out of my musing, holding on to my _proof_ cloak as we stopped on the doorsteps of the face. Yes, proof this cloak is waterproof, fireproof, rip and tear resistant, explosion resistant etc.

"Aren't you going to knock?" I grimaced and knocked on the door three times. A few loud steps warned me and the door flew open revealing the one who had invited us.

She was fairly tall and lanky though her build was rapidly becoming more feminine and mature. Jayleen had long wavy blonde hair pulled into a simple ponytail, her diamond shaped face lighting up with a grin. Her blue eyes shined brightly, and it was hard to look away.

Like a tiny sad puppy…

She was wearing a white bathrobe and I could see some small glimpses of her two piece bikini. The top was a simple plain blue and I could see a swim skirt of the same color peak out from the covering.

All in all…she was rather cute individual. I still didn't know her last name though. She took a step forward and I went stiff like a board when the girl wrapped her arms around me. She patted my back as if I was an old friend.

"~Hello~" Her voice was melodious and I felt flustered as her… _assets_ pressed against my own. The sensation was odd and I shimmied away from the disappointed girl.

"Uh hi?" She rebounded upwards, leaning back and forth on her feet.

"I suppose I should introduce myself." That would be the right thing to do. The girl pointed to her bouncy chest with a cheeky and flirty grin.

"Well the names Jayleen Arc…" My eyes widened but I kept my emotions under wrap not wanting to rouse suspicion. "Short, sweet, rolls off the tongue, _everyone_ loves it." The Arc echoed the words of her future son or nephew depending on how she was related to him.

Huh…neat.

* * *

I took a hardy bite out of an offered apple as I laid down under the shade of an umbrella. The small party was already under way with the girls forming into small groups and just talking. I was alone for now, using my time to get some brief rest. I had a giddy feeling rise up inside me as Umber talked with some other girls about _something._ Couldn't tell you what it was from how far away they were.

Meh…doesn't matter anyway.

Now I'm going to take a little cat nap and—

"Nope!" I jolted up as Jayleen snuck up behind me. She had managed to glomp me and I struggled out of her shockingly strong hold. I _really_ need her to get her boobs out of my face! Even if the feel _really_ nice…

I pushed her off, my face turning red as I became flustered. Jayleen didn't apologize and I sighed as I jumped up onto my feet. The girl had a cheeky grin and I did my best to hide my burning cheeks. She took the space opened up by my movement and I sighed.

"Aren't you going to hang out with everyone else." I shrugged at her question, though I was thinking of it. Sometimes…I did get lonely, though it was better than before my…death.

"Maybe later." I stuttered as the Arc girl wrapped her arms around me, pressing against the small of my back. From the corner of my right eye I could see Umber give a thumbs up and I bit back a growl. I ignored what little libido I still had and tried to get away but she wasn't having it.

"You are going to have some fun if it is the last thing I do. And an Arc always keeps their promise." I resisted but couldn't compete against her unyielding strength. For someone so dainty looking she had a _lot_ of power. We eventually stopped in front of Umber and two other faunus.

G-Good…faunus are easier to talk to for whatever reason, likely because a great number of humans don't like me. Umber grinned in a certain fashion and I was puzzled on where I had seen that smile before. My face remained red as Jayleen never left my side, pressing _herself_ into me.

She was doing it on purpose…the jerk…

I coughed and with some struggling freed myself from the blonde girls grasp. I took a hesitant step toward the small huddle, and Umber leaned forward giving me an uncomfortable view of her…well.

I was starting to wonder when my libido would start manifesting itself again. At first I had made nothing of it, since I was focused on my own more important shit. Of course I started to notice I wasn't feeling much attracted to women anymore. Fortunately it wasn't anything like the situation with that Naruto gender bender SI where his mind was still heterosexual as a girl so he started to like guys.

It had more to do with my relative youth when I _woke_ up. Without that whirlwind of growing and hormonal activity and my general disinterest in dating I kind of ended up not caring for such things anymore. Honestly I'm kind of thankful it's worn off…though now I'm wondering how the hell I'm going to… _relieve_ myself.

I flushed as Umber gripped my shoulder in genuine concern. I waved her off, not liking that expression of worry and stress on her face.

"Hey, I'm okay there's nothing wrong Bun-Bun." I flushed as I accidentally used her nickname as did the rabbit faunus. The other faunus said nothing, but they did have small smirks on their faces. I _really_ hope they don't think anything weird about us. I like her in the sense of a friend and even well… _physically._ But I just don't feel that way about her.

" _Sooo,_ now that you're here…" Jayleen decided to enter the circle here pointing at my cloak with a pleading look. I mouthed "later" not feeling in the mood, and she nodded in response. "How about a little love life gossip." My eyebrows scrunched up at the deliberate use of non-gender specific terms. It seemed rather consistent with Jayleen too. Though with a lightning quick thought I remembered that Remnant _rarely_ had issues with gender and sexual equality. Most of the civil rights issues were with the faunus.

"Uh sure." I could hear her mutter "victory" under her breathe and the other girls looked oddly excited as well. Was this one of those things I didn't get because I used to be a guy? That or my aspergers…huh do I still have that with this body?

Questions for later…

"Okay, so have you heard any interesting rumours at all?" Both girls looked curious and I hummed, brushing my fingers against my chin as I thought of anything I had heard.

Hmm…what about…no, no just something some jerk spread around. What about…

Huh…

"Sorry I don't have anything." The other girls looked dissatisfied but Umber seemed to be happy with me at least talking. Jayleen was the next to speak up, raising her hand for a moment before putting it back down.

"Okay I heard that Amethyst and Steel are hooking up…" I slowly tapped out of the conversation, only vaguely attempting to memorize anything and making the appropriate noises when necessary. I was fine with talking but I only agreed so I wouldn't be bored. I had little interest in social gossip. But it didn't mean I wouldn't eavesdrop out of curiosity though.

Despite my lack of interest it _was_ still nice to talk to some more people. Eventually though the topic seemed to turn to _my_ love life.

"There anyone _you're_ interested in Summer?" Umber gave the blonde a cut it out signal, though the blonde kept going. "I know you don't have too many friends…but" Her expression shifted, since she could have unintentionally insulted me but whatever.

"Uh I don't think so?" was the best answer I had for her.

Jayleen didn't seem to believe me. "But there's got to be someone right?" I tilted my head, and my hand reached for my nearly forgotten apple. The satisfying crunch was her only answer. "Maybe Umber?" Umber growled and flicked the girls nose. "Oww, uh Cassin?" I shook my head. Bird boy was sweet and all but he was a little too…scrawny for me. Jayleen mumbled as she made a list, until the Arc suddenly had an epiphany.

"What?" I asked her while leaning back from her.

"What about Taiyang?" Umber made eye contact with me, with an unreadable look.

Hmm…Tai? Kid's nice but…I don't know…he _was_ my first friend. He's helped me out a lot, and has never done any of the _suggestions_ his "friends" gave him. He…was really sweet actually…cute too.

"Maybe?" I shrugged my shoulders in response and Jayleen pouted. Her eyes suddenly lit up however and I had a bad feeling.

"Wait really? Oh my gosh y—." I instantly covered her mouth _not_ wanting to deal with any meddling from her.

"Can we do _anything_ else? You said this was a pool party right? Then let's _use_ the pool." That was Jayleen's s cue and she jumped up into the air. _Again_ her assets bouncing with the action.

What is she like a double D or something? Not that much bigger than mine actually. Wonder if she has the same problems as I do? Because I'm worrying if I'll eventually have to deal with back problems. Though fortunately a mix of aura as well as posture lessons from Gilda _should_ keep those to a minimum.

Man, I _really_ know my old mom's pain and may or may not curse her due to her genetics somehow passing on in the next life.

"POOL TIME!" Jayleen suddenly leaped into action, ripping off my cloak and then—SHIT!

Not the water! At least—

"BLEH!"

* * *

I kicked my feet in the pool to keep myself afloat, giggling as Umber was splashed by water. After the first minute I ended up chasing Joan throughout the pool to attack her.

"Get dunked on you little shit!" She squealed as I dragged her underwater, and I held on tight. Eventually we floated back up to the surface and I gave her a light squeeze.

You know…she _is_ pretty cute…scrawny but filling out _nicely._ I gave Joan another squeeze and she squirmed out of my grip with a red face. I giggled again paddling away from the girl.

Uh…uh…

Jayleen snuck behind me from below and I felt hands wrap around my Stomach, before one of them _lowered_ to my…

"Jayleen please." I felt a hand brush itself along my thigh and _ever_ so gently sq— I immediately pushed her off as that _feeling_ of…mhmm, went up my thigh and…

"Heh." My hand lifted itself out of its own accord to slap her. My chest heaved as my rage influenced my breathing. Jayleen was glaring at me though it swiftly died and she looked apologetic. Holding her red cheek she apologized.

"Just…don't do it again." I kicked my feet to reach the edge of the pool.

"But didn't it feel _nice?_ " I rolled my eyes at her and crossed my arms with a line forming in my forehead. "And didn't you do do the _same_ thing." I snorted at her counter.

"I was _hugging_ you, not actively groping you. Heck give me a hug right now I don't mind." I welcomed her with opens arms, my amusement likely rather obvious.

"I get your point." Jayleen swam up to give a friendly hug anyway and I shook her around with happiness. "So…it's getting pretty cold out and I was thinking of making this into a slumber party? You alright with that?" I gave her a thumbs up and she _beamed._

She reminds me a lot of another blonde I know…

* * *

"Didn't think you were such a snuggler Sums Up." I shrugged my shoulders as I held onto Umber like a pillow despite her half hearted protest. I might not be interested in dating her but _cuddling_ was a whole other ball game. Umber really was a cute little bunny and I couldn't help myself.

"Please let go." My lip may or may not have quivered and Umber may or not have given up the moment I pouted. I crawled into her lap to get more comfortable, a dopey grin on my face as we watched the movie.

"Why? Because _I_ am here!" Some type of Hero Academia knockoff was being played on the screen and I smiled as Umber wrapped her arms around me with a nervous smile.

It was…nice to have a friend I was this close with. Umber was a nervous sort but she cared about my interests, cared about _me_ as a person. So did Taiyang but at times it seems he cares even stronger. Cassin was a tough cookie to get to chill out but it was worth it… _he_ was worth it.

I nearly had a heart attack as something fuzzy touched the top of my head, but fortunately it was just Umber's ears. Kind of want to pet them now, but that seems like it would be an intimate thing for faunus. We watched movie after movie, only occasionally shifting so neither of us would become discomforted. Didn't want my ass or my legs to fall asleep on me.

Eventually only Umber and I were still awake and I pulled the remote out of Jayleen's hand. The blonde was quiet actively drooling onto her bed and I took a picture for later.

I felt a yawn come on and I moved Umber to the left so I could use my blanket. I smiled lightly as the bunny faunus moved closer. I was grateful too since it was rather cold tonight despite it being summer. My body stiffened as the faunus pulled me to her side by my waist. It was…an odd feeling?

"Shut up…" I shrugged, and then _yelped_ as a hand made its way to my exposed stomach. I carefully removed the offending hand with a blush and got comfortable. Relaxing as Umber's breath evened out signifying her entrance into dreamland.

Guess it's time for me to sleep too. Probably need to start training for that Tournament Umber got me into. Maybe I'll get a better idea of where I stand among my peers…

* * *

I fidgeted hesitantly as Doctor Polendina muttered while poking and prodding, though it was really Miss Kitsune who was doing most of that poking. She frowned as if it wasn't enough and dismissed her lover(?) At this point in my growth stage I was already a few inches taller than the rather short faunus. She poked me in the chest and I grumbled.

"Strip." I floundered at her commands before hesitantly obliging her. I crossed my arms, doing my best to hide my chest despite the bra. The faunus rolled her eyes and took out a measuring tape. I grumbled as she used the tape to get my sizes, the feeling of hands near my bust rather new.

I felt a smirk come on as the fox faunus eyes followed my chest and glanced down to her own. Though now I returned to why she was doing this.

"Uh OK, now uh why do you need my measurements?" It wasn't everyday you were asked by Atlas scientist to do… _this._

"Well Geppetto wanted to give you a little _gift_ you see for opening his eyes to the possibilities. I know you've picked up some tidbits on our projects and I don't really mind for you to be among the first to test some of them." I felt a giddy feeling rise from my stomach and up my throat and I unleashed a squeal.

"Eeee!" I lifted my arms into the air as my emotions got the better of me. I shook off the strange urge. At the smile she was giving me I blushed, cursing the odd compulsions of this body. But I still needed to know more.

"Ahem…" My blush died down as she finished her measuring. "So what are you going to do with this." While I waited for her to answer, I put on my black cargo pants, passing each leg through its respective section. She opened her mouth, until I heard the door creep open. An ignorant Taiyang opened the door much to my amusement. He stopped with one foot in the air and I couldn't help but smirk as his expression. He looked at me like I was going to smack him across the face at any moment.

I want to test something… Miss Kitsune said nothing as her smirk was enough of an answer for me.

I crossed my arms, quite _purposely_ lifting up my sizable chest in the process. His eyes followed the movement closely before meeting my eyes with red coloring his cheeks. "What's wrong Tai? Something uh _caught_ your eye." He was shaking his head in denial and I was _this_ close to giving him a hug to embarrass him even more. I decided to give him some mercy and put on my white tank top.

"S-Sorry I didn't mean to…" He mumbled under his breath, playing with his fingers in worry. His eyes looked downward and there was a small frown on his face.

Oh God…

"H-Hey it's okay it was an accident!" My plan had backfired within seconds. "Just knock before you enter a room okay?" He nodded and shyly said goodbye, leaving the room.

"Didn't go as well as you hoped huh?" I pouted and smacked her arm. She winced and I kicked at a small pebble on the floor.

"Again what are you going to make me?" Kitsune's eye _kit_ up as the question registered in her mind. She dragged me along, and when we reached the living room, where Tai blatantly looked away from me. She opened up what looked like blueprints for protective clothing? The scientist looked giddy and my curiosity got the better of me.

"A _very_ special protective article of clothing for your Hunter uniform." I nodded and I felt a smile come on as several different pieces of clothing showed up on screen. She pointed to a bodysuit under a flight suit of some sort that acted as an undershirt of some sort. "This is a special suit of armor that we're developing for Atlas, thankfully they don't mind if some Hunters get some as a gesture of goodwill with Vale. The inner suit is made up of a carbon nanotube and diamene weave with a variety of sensors built in for your convenience. It's also able to assist in thermoregulation for harsh climates. The inner suit can take twelve to thirteen shots from an average Dust rifle before breaking." My eyes were wide open at the information.

The average rifle with a Burn Dust propellant and and a Shock Dust igniter has around the same muzzle energy as a 12.7mm caliber bullet. So 18 kilojoules would be the best estimate? And this is for the innermost layer!

"What else! What else! What else!" She grinned and we moved on to the next layer which was the armored flight suit. Actually upon closer study of the armor I was reminded of a strange mix between the Nanosuit from Crysis and Spartan armor. _Much_ more lightly built of course, resembling a less armored bodysuit instead.

"Then on top of that is another thicker carbon weave with a layer of metal foam to act as an absorbent layer. Armor plating is placed on top of that covering on as many vital points as possible without excessively restricting movement. The plating is made of carbon reinforced nanoceramic. Together with the inner layer the suit can take 40 something shots from a Dust rifle. There's also a number of pockets and various magnetic holders to store Dust, ammunition, your weapon and whatever else you need."

"Anything else?" She nodded and as I was left with my white cloak and a helmet in two varieties.

"Two helmet designs. Both can display and an HUD that links you to the sensor suite of your suit. Motion sensor, radar, thermal radiation, aural energy. Counts how many projectiles you have left, can be used in place of a scope. It will also monitor your vital signs, aura levels included of course. My next question was obvious, and we shared a conspiratorial smile. "The helmet is made up of some more carbon weave as before, while the visor is comprised of an aura enhanced Aluminum glass."

"You did what?" Taiyang was left sputtering and I beamed at the realization. "I know Summer said you were working on something but _that._ " He sounded impressed and Kitsune haughtily laughed.

"Indeed, our project has been a complete success. All the suits system are powered by…uh remember not to tell anyone this _just_ yet okay." She didn't let us answer her and the image shifted to illustrate about a dozen small crystals wired up to both suits. "They are powered by Aura Storing Crystals or ASC for short, and the alloys and composites in the armor are part of a new subset of materials known as Aura Storing Alloys or ASAs"

Really? Is having acronyms really necessary?

"Anything else they can do?" Taiyang was curious and frankly so was I despite my contempt for those acronyms.

"Self healing properties?" Was what the fox faunus replied with.

Dear lord, Atlas and Remnant technology is absolutely _bullshit_ with what their capable of in such a short amount of time. They went from this technology not existing to _existing_ in a little over two years.

"I want it…" The moment she said yes I charged her giving her my tightest hug. I checked out the cloak next and the changes there were minimal, only a change in the material, though I personally added some light bending alchemical circles for stealth. So yeah I'll be the stealthy sniper build that _nobody_ on Remnant uses, with some explosive demolition on the side.

I blinked and realized that the doctor had left while I was doing a little celebratory dance.

 _Thunk._

Taiyang had given me a poke on the nose to get my attention. He held out his hand and I greedily took the chocolate chip cookies he had. The boy had a fond look in his eyes while I ate them in small bites. The tasty and chocolatey flavor was familiar… "Are these one of mine Tai?" He nodded and took a seat next to me.

"Um yeah. I…couldn't help myself. They're really good. I shrugged, not able to blame him. After a year of _very_ necessary practice you tend to figure out your way around the kitchen or starve. I even figured out how to make some of the old foods from back home. Apparently just remembering the taste would be enough for my semblance to get a _minimal_ understanding with my semblance. Still a _lot_ of trial and error and—

GRRR!

My eyes instantly honed in on Taiyang's stomach and he meekly nodded to the expected question.

Time for lunch then!

* * *

"How is it?" I asked worriedly as Taiyang took a bite of the soup I had cooked up for both him and I. For fun I had worn an apron that read "kiss the cook" that I usually used for baking instead. Back _Before_ I had a modest interest in cooling and once I got good over here, there was a sense of pride whenever anyone liked it. I tended to ask quiet frequently even though they always told me it was good.

" _Fantastic._ " He took a few more bites before speaking again. "I wouldn't mind if you cooked for me everyday." He suddenly choked on his food and I tilted my head.

"Huh? What does _that_ mean?" He sputtered with a blush and I pointed the ladle accusingingly at him.

"It's nothing…Um how are you preparing for the Tournament?" I rubbed my chin at the question, letting his blatant change of topic go.

"I think I'm doing alright. My skills have started pulling ahead of the other students in our class and I can beat you guys with greater regularity. Based on the sparring records charts I've just hit top ten. Soon nothing will stop me! Hehe hehe." I evilly rubbed my hands together and I stopped as my friend started to laugh. "What's so funny?" he stopped and wiped a tear away.

"It's just you sound like the world's most adorable super villain." I preened at the praise, and we both couldn't help but laugh together.

"Of course I'm adorable! I mean come on, look at _this_ face. " I smiled, pressing my pinkies against the dimples.

"Really hot too…" I felt a flush at the sudden compliment and he apologized quickly. I didn't mind though, he was my friend and I just _loved_ compliments. My flush went down as I noticed he seemed…off somehow.

"Are you alright?" The golden boy froze, showing me a stiff upper lip. I took a few hesitant steps forward and placed my hands on his shoulders. I absently noted that we were almost the same height, and it wouldn't be long before he surpassed me. I lifted one hand up to check for a fever, but he seemed okay in the health department.

"I…" I gave him a patient smile and I held back a shout as he threw himself at me. I sighed as his body shook, and held him tight. I knew something was wrong but I didn't know what.

"You can trust me you know. I _care_ about you and want to help you if I can." I hugged him tight, and his resistance crumbled at my expression.

"Okay I'll tell you." I grinned in victory but schooled my expression as he started. "I…my mom got in an accident with Dust." My heart stopped and I grabbed his arms so he would hug back. Tai needed a hug, and he needed it bad. "She's in the hospital."

"Is she going to be okay?" He nodded and I sighed in relief. He didn't deserve to have his parents taken from him at this age. He let go, and rubbed the back of his neck, the embarrassment clear.

"Thanks really. I know you're not good at this stuff but." I waved him off. I might be an antisocial nerd, but that doesn't mean I don't care about my friends. And…I wanted to be a better person than I used to be. I… _would_ become a better person. Taiyang relaxed and he had a sweet and easy grin on his face. He gave me a cheeky look and opened his mouth. "So…how well do you think you'll do at the Tournament." I felt my lips widen into a fierce smirk.

I was _so_ going to kick some ass at the Tournament.

* * *

 _BOOM!_

I felt dissatisfied as the girl fell to her knees after only three shots. We had started at a mere 50-meters and I had my sniper up and shooting by the time she had crossed half the distance. Her aura had dropped to the 15% mark and the match was called. I offered her my hand but she slapped it away, grumbling the entire way as she walked out of the small arena.

"Rude…"

I had been gradually making my way up the bracket for the regional tournament. There were a total of 40 participants in our age bracket and I had blazed through over a half of them. Half of it due to my skill the other half due to their _lack_ of skill. I was feeling rather excited, and I hoped I would get to face someone tough even if I lost. Just the learning process experience would ultimately do wonders for me.

I was currently in the top 11 only one more match short of entering the top ten. The next match wouldn't be for another hour so I had time to kill but still I was worried with my next opponent.

It was Jayleen…

I have a few advantages here, I know how she fights. She yields a small blue staff like thing she wields as as two knives when split apart. So I have the range advantage, but it's possible no incredibly likely that she's hiding her semblance. Biding her time until someone who can really push her becomes worthy.

I sat back in the lockers, and pulled back my hair into a temporary ponytail. I had left it grow for too long and planned to cut it sometime. I removed my shirt and breathed a sigh of relief, as the AC did its work. Unfortunately today was a very hot day despite it being Fall. I rolled my eyes as a certain blonde Arc snuck up from behind, getting a tight hold on my stomach.

"Jay please. Don't make me get the spray bottle." The girl promptly let go, and I leaned against the locker shivering as bare skin met cold metal. I pulled out another identical but cleaner shirt and after applying some deodorant and stretching a bit was more or less ready.

"This is going to be an exciting match Sums Up." I shrugged with a smirk and inspected Gungnir, checking for any issues but finding none. The white and black rifle was in mint condition relatively speaking. Once that was done I took a brief nap to pass the time.

…

…

"Yeah…" I felt excitement as we were called out.

"This is gonna be awesome!" My Arc buddy pulled ahead of me and I kept a behind her not wanting to waste unnecessary energy. My body tensed as we entered try ring and I kept my nerves as steady as could be.

"Okay B…Summer keep calm you've managed to keep your stage fright at bay all this time. I can do this."

We started about 40 meters apart, not an optimal range for either of us really for our melee weapons. Though this was more a problem for her due to her knives short range.

I watched Jay closely, just as much as she watched me. There was an odd confidence that put me on edge. I decided to go with a smaller round for now.

One, two, three…

 _BANG!_

I kept my grin off my face as Jay took a Mach 18 tungsten slug to the face. The area around her then exploded into smoke and rubble. I heard shuffling from the smoke and narrowed my eyes. The moment I heard whistling, my rifle became a spear and I narrowly blocked a bubble, bouncing it away from me.

From the smoke I saw a blue wall protecting her from harm. Firing a few more times to test the blue shields resilience. Strong shield, she can form them into bubbles…likely to carry explosive Dust packages. The barrier splintered away into bubbles and Jayleen's started her attack.

I rolled away dodging the barrage of blue bubbles. The explosions of fire, ice and lightning told me enough about the power of her semblance. I activated the alchemical runes etched into my spear and then…

 _BAMM!_

A roaring inferno surged toward the girl and I cursed as my eyes registered a blue flash of light. I growled as another shield blocked the attack like it was nothing.

 _Stay calm, don't lose your shit._

I'm sure…Jay is going to be rather _electrified!_

 _BAKRAM!_

Several lightning shocks pierced through the shield, and Jayleen screamed as the electrical shock twitched her vulnerable muscles. In her moment of distraction I took my shot, and I watched as the 3.527 ounce bullet _slammed_ into her chest throwing her meters back.

"10% in one hit…" I circled around her as she picked herself up with a hoarse huff. But she had a smile on her face…

I ducked under a bubble she had hidden only to run in to a second one filled with…

 _Jet Dust!_

 _BOOM!_

I muffled a scream as I was thrown flat on my back. A chunk of my aura was taken down by the Thermobaric blast as well as the fall. I threw myself forward picking up my weapon on the way, and I grinned as I thrust into Jay's aura. Her mistake had been to get in close in with her knives to attack me. Her aura took the hit, and I opened up with something _special._

Jayleen's took a block of thermite right to her skull and the metal detonated, throwing her away. She landed on her feet, orienting herself while in the air and throwing Block Dust in my direction.

"Shit! Move!" I _leaped_ upward, blocking and cutting through any generated or thrown up earth. I cracked the ground as I landed and let out a _ping_ with my semblance.

What…the shit is this? From behind me I heard a roar and a rocky hand nearly ripped my arm out of my socket as it slammed me into the ground.

I popped up onto my feet and bent back, dodging a sharp clawed hand and revealing my attacker.

A giant stone…puppet? And several smaller puppets?

I… _wait_ is Jay wearing a blue dress? She's using a wand…brought an army of puppets to life…

"Are you…the blue fairy?" Jayleen's face contorted into utter confusion and her puppets faltered. I roared and slashed with my halberd crushing most of the smaller puppets in my wake. The Arc returned to life and snapped her fingers, and three puppets surrounded me before— _OH SHIT!_

 _SHOOM!_

I lost ten percent of my aura in a single blast and I focused to the best of my ability.

Three to the left. Five to the right

Two behind, one in front.

I side stepped to the left, ducking under several puppets and proceeding to murder them into a million _tiny_ pieces. Then opened up fire…

Within seconds I had reduced most of her puppets to rubble. My instincts started _screaming_ however and my eyes widened as a solid chunk of Thermobaric Dust collided with me.

 _BOOOMM!_

I growled as my aura dropped to 25% with that explosion. I had forgotten about their master in my murderous rage. Okay let's focus some aura here and…

I tore through her remaining puppet, dropping it with an _aura_ slash, and cutting it in half with my halberd. I felt the wind push against me as I _dashed_ toward Jay, crossing the twenty meter distance in a quarter of a second. My halberd _clanged_ against her barrier. I shattered it with ease, a blast of directed alchemical fire striking against the barrier and then her aura.

I thrust the spear aiming for her arm, but she leaped up landing on top of my weapon. She balanced easily on it and brought down her knives for a final strike. I instead thrust my weapon downward embedding it into the ground before unleashing a point blank fuel-air explosion to her face.

 _BOOOMM!_

" **Jayleen Arc has defeated Summer Rose by the slimmest of margins! She moves on to the next round!** "

 _Jayleen Arc 15% Aura_

 _Summer Rose 14.99% Aura._

Son of a—!

* * *

"Good match!" I grinned despite my loss, the sharp sting of disappointment was still there though. From what I can, at the last minute Jayleen made a final puppet that had dropped my aura down while I Roy Mustang'd her entire body.

"Um yeah. That was actually _really_ exciting!" It really was, fighting with my all against a strong opponent. At the very least sport fighting was really fun, especially with a good friend. Jay rolled back and forth on the balls of her feet, and I almost did the same. But I don't want to be _that_ girly.

"So you'll stick around for the other matches right?"

"Of course! I want to see you kick ass after all!" We both smiled at one another. I pulled her into a friendly hug, and she hugged back. At this point our friendship had long been cemented.

 _Sniff._

A line appeared between brows. "Did you just…Sniff me?" I rolled my shoulders and nodded.

"You kind of smell bad? I'm sorry." Her eyes widened and she lifted up her arm to check. She recoiled from her armpit and agreed with a grimace.

"Right, so after I… _clean_ up, can we have some lunch together? I know this little coffee shop…and." I lifted up my hand, and an OK sign was my answer. She practically sparkled with happiness, she embraced me a second time before leaving to wash up.

I should do the same…

* * *

"Are you drinking chocolate milk?" I took a sip of the aforementioned drink and nodded. We had about 37 minutes before her next round, and this little cute shop had some good food. Jayleen was apparently a fan of coffee to my surprise, admittingly she added like five sugars and cream so it probably didn't even taste like coffee.

"What about it?" I took another sip as Jayleen thought my question over. The girl put one leg over the other as she pursed her lip. You know, she was kind of cute when she was thinking like that, as much as Tai is when he does that.

Huh, where did _that_ come from?

"Uh well," I beckoned her to go on. "You've always been rather serious, I thought you'd be more of a black coffee kind of girl." My nose fueled at the audacity of the idea and shivered. That sounded disgusting. "Heh, based on the look on your face I was wrong." I agreed shaking my head at the mere idea of it.

"Coffee is gross." She didn't seem to agree and I had a good counterattack. "Heck even Headmaster Ozpin doesn't like it. He drinks hot cocoa." Her expression dropped and I puffed up my chest in victory.

"That may be…but it's still unexpected"

"How so?" My curiosity hastened my question. Didn't really get why she would think.

"Well like I said you're pretty serious. Half the time you don't even respond to our jokes. But then suddenly you do things that are really nice and sweet, and it's... _weird._ "

My nostrils flared as I picked up the suspicion. "Are you saying I'm being fake?" She turned away and I felt frankly insulted. My temper reared its head quickly at the perceived insult. "I might be a lot of things. Apathetic, antisocial, cynical, but I _care_ about my friends, care about their interests. I'm just…" My voice choked and I relished the guilty expression on her face.

"I'm sorry I didn't mean it like that." I rubbed my eye as they felt watery for a moment. "I…had some bad credit experience with _fakes_ in the past."

I was still angry but I understood what she meant. I knew what people were capable of when they wanted to be malicious or manipulative. Thankfully not from first person experience. But that didn't mean it didn't hurt that she thought so little of me.

"I'm sorry again. But…why do I have that feeling of…like you're _forcing_ myself then?" There was curiosity brimming in those bright eyes of hers and I thought of how to answer. My older friends already knew sind they had forced the answers out of me, so I guess I could tell her too. I could…trust her.

"I guess you could say I _am_ forcing myself. Not because I don't care…but more. I want to be better, more _proactive._ " It was still a hard topic to broach with me.

"What do you mean?" Her face expressed more befuddlement at my response. My words hadn't illustrated my point across as well as I had hoped.

"I've always had issues with…putting effort into things even when it's important. I guess I have very little…willpower of sorts. Sometimes I don't even want to get up in the morning." I hid a sniffle, turning away from the now sympathetic girl.

"It sounds like your a bit…depressed."

"Heh," A bitter laugh escaped me. "That's not something new to me Jay." My chuckles stopped as she placed her hands over mine. Her eyes darted back and forth as if analyzing me.

"You're not alone, I promise you that. You have Taiyang, Umber, Cassin. You have me." There was desperation in her voice and I looked deeper into her eyes. She blinked away tears, turning away. "I, the _fake_ did a bad thing." I followed along so far, willing to listen. "She was… _bullying_ another kid, using her power to leave him with nothing until he—" She didn't finish her sentence and I understood.

"You don't have to worry about _that._ I rather like being alive." She released a breath and I frowned as I checked the time. I gestured to the time and her eyes popped out.

"Oh…shit!" I picked her up and jumped right over a customer, paid of course and ran like a bat out of hell. While I ran I continued to reassure her. Eventually we came to a stop and I put her down.

"Hey Jayleen?"

Jayleen brushed back her matted hair and replied with a "Yeah?"

I beamed and gave her a thumbs up. "Kick their asses for me kay?" her warm smile was all the response I needed.

"Thanks…"

* * *

"What do you think?" A certain Atlesian scientist asked a small figure hidden under a thick dense cloth that obscured their features.

"I believe they would both be _sensational_ friends and would like to meet them one day." The bundle of cloth answered with glee in her voice and metaphorical heart. She had been allowed to attend after some adjustments to hide her current appearance from what her father said could be potential dangers to her. He said many would not understand, that man and faunus were afraid of what they did not understand.

"But who do you think would fit as a partner?"

"Hmm…" The clothed being tilted her head, as she watched the two humans fight with everything they had. "They're both strong, but one of them is kinder and may provide better synergy than the other. Her defensive shielding is interesting."

Her father grinned and crossed his arms as the fighting ended in a potent explosion.

' _How curious…there's no aura draw from her semblance._ '

The machine beings eyes focused in on the runes painted or carved throughout the sniper users form and weapon. But her sensors did pick up on some energy being drawn in from… _elsewhere._ She modified her code to analyze the energy. To her it was strange and new, a flow of power overlaid across the entirety of the arena. Her aura sensors were the most advanced in existence, and with her newly made improvements she could now sense the "other" source of power more easily.

"Father?" The red haired Atlesian scientist tilted his head in her direction. There was question in his eyes. "My sensors have picked up a strange energy from the silver eyed girl you talk with." He leaned in, his curiosity sparked by her statement.

"Can you give me some more detail?" Her form became unnaturally straight and his scroll vibrated.

He started to read the images sent to him. "Another field of energy? It resembles aura but…harder to control. Those arrays draw power from them, to begin and control their reactions along with small amounts of aura." The small figure noticed his elevating heart rate and felt worry. The worry stopped and for a brief moment the figure thought she was going mad.

Her sensors were picking up thousands of "ghost" signatures all around her in massive numbers. The motes of lights came and went like mayflies, disappearing and reappearing at any time. Others persisted for much longer amounts of time, with a single blazing fire gathering within the bodies of the animals scattered across the arena. Whether it was a rat, or a smuggled in pet she could sense the entities contained within them. Some appeared with physical actions in the real world. Motes of light appeared whenever a match was lit, or a faucet opened, or even a breath taken. Her father picked up on these images if his paling complexion was any indication. Her processing even almost stalled as her sensors focused on the silver eyed human. In the new mode her eyes shined like a supernova, and for a brief moment the peeping being felt something watching her, _judging_ her. The spiritual glare weakened and she sensed approval before the being watching left.

"I…"

"S-Should we keep this to ourselves father?" The scientist paused before he gave his approval.

The small figure turned off the sensory mode and smiled as she watched a new match start. Doing her best to keep the encounter to the back of her mind.

* * *

 _RRRRR._

I opened my eyes and held back a yawn as I lifted myself up out of bed. I leaned myself against the head of my bed, cleaning up some of the sand-stuff from the corners of my eye. The house was quiet as Gilda was out on a mission. I think it was to defend some obscure village from a Grimm attack? From what I could gather they were offering a _lot_ of Lien, so mom took them up on their generous offer.

Time to start the day off then…

My feet met the floor and I glanced about the room. I had never bothered to care too much about it, until Jayleen convinced me to decorate. "Make it my own," was what she said to me. So I did.

The room was rather roomy, I could have fit _two_ beds if I wanted to. My bed was on the left side of the 12.5x16 foot room, next to a built in closet I used for my clothes and other stuff. The bed was pretty big, a full size if I'm remembering right. It had an orange bedsheet and the tiger stripe print blanket I used was sprawled across its surface.

Very comfy…

On the right side there was a reinforced glass window that would have provided a view into my room if it wasn't for the long black curtain I had gotten. I thought it looked nice, and it contrasted with the creamy white walls of my room. At the right most corner where the window ended, I had a mahogany little desk I used for studying.

Mahogany…

Anyway, I felt a breeze as the AC snapped on, the summer heat being rather intense today. This day in August has proven to be a real scorcher for us all. I had decided to just have a lazy day and didn't bother to change. I stopped at the mirror, deciding to see for myself how much progress I had made. I had to have advanced at least a little after more than a year and a half.

"Hmmm…looking good…"

I was taller, since my growth had finished off at about 5'11 in height. My hair was down to my shoulders, and I didn't plan to grow it beyond that. My outfit was a long black shirt paired with grey boxers that I found comfortable. It was a women's large since it was the only size that fit me now. Going to be honest, I looked a lot different than the OG Summer did, but that might just be a guess. Now I was no buff Buffy, but I wasn't some skinny gymnast either, and in thick baggy clothes I tended to look cutely chubby. But I _suppose_ I was chubby where it counted if you know what I mean.

"Should probably stop talking to myself." Yeah, besides this growing girl needs some food in her belly.

I _slipped_ on my slippers so I didn't have to put on any shoes and opened up the door. I zeroed in on the shared kitchen and living room, and thought about what I wanted to do. Should I cook up some breakfast? Or just get some cereal? Hmm…nah just cereal is fine.

I picked out from our varieties of unhealthy brands, From Frosted Schnee Flakes to to Cheerios(Some brands stayed the same…) my eyes led me to a Lucky Charms like cereal.

A few minutes later and I'm sitting on the couch watching the holographic TV and only a shirt and boxers to hide my womanly dignity. I watched with excitement as a new program started, an interview with a certain Atlesian faunus doctor about the recently unveiled joint space program. From what I can tell the program has opened up to the remaining kingdom, mainly so they wouldn't feel threatened. I upped the volume so I could hear better.

" _This space program has advanced rather quickly hasn't it Doctor Kitsune?_ " Some famous reporter badgered the Dust expert, and she gave her a practiced smile.

" _Indeed it has, all thanks to some old research notes from before the Great War._ " Atlas had managed to pass off my books as well as the near fully decoded files, after I sent the Russian through a translator. Millions of files were left in the possession of the Headmaster so he could gradually send anything he considered vital into the capable hands of the Kingdoms R&D department. I even heard they were thinking of building a Particle Accelerator somewhere within one of the Kingdoms.

" _You've recently stated the plans for a satellite network to displace the CCT Network. How exactly will that work?_ " Kitsune's eyes lit up at the question and she jumped to answer.

" _Well we plan to create a satellite constellation into orbit around next year. We already have the highly reliable rockets needed to send them._ " I felt elated as an image played behind the two women, showing off what looked like the BFR rocket. The reporter gaped as the size of the vessel became more obvious, the 118 meter monster impressive even from a screen. There were some small differences here and there, mainly it looked _tougher_ somehow. Likely due to the use of Aura Alloys, which made them much stronger than normal. However fueling the rocket still required methane and liquid oxygen as per usual, easily obtained from the Agricultural industry.

" _Communicating with each other through lasers, the network will provided a nearly unbroken internet connection across the globe as long as a connection like this one._ " Holding a pizza box sized router in her hand, the reporter was still without words. It made me question _how_ they managed to hide this for three years.

I paused the channel for a moment to take a few bites of cereal. If there's one good thing about the Schnee's I like it's their food and Dust. And on _that_ note I think little Winter's like two and a half years old now. She's going to be 28 and half if I'm counting the years right when we get to RWBY time.

 _DING!_

My me time was interrupted as the doorbell rang, and I sighed as I got up to open the door. I held up the bowl with my left arm, and turned the doorknob with my right.

"Hey Tai," I greeted the blonde kindly, a smile pulling at my face. Taiyang looked almost identical to the SRTQ picture if with a slightly more youthful look. He turned out to be a really _tall_ young man. About half a head taller, or like five or six inches thereabout? His eyes shined, almost lilac in the lighting and his right hand met with the frame of the doorway. "You bored or something? You could have called me you know." He raised a brow and waved his Scroll in the air as an answer.

Fair enough.

"So can I come in?" I gestured to the back with my thumb and he lit up. Tai closed the door behind me so the AC wouldn't waste precious energy. We sat on the couch and I smirked as he visibly kept his gaze from going below my collar.

"You always act like a flirt but you get flustered so easily." He didn't respond to my observation. "And you're working on that little soul patch of yours?" I poked the small patch of hair with a bemused smile. The corner of his mouth twitched and I felt content.

"Uh yeah, I thought it would make me look older." He rubbed the back of his head with an abashed look.

"Well it _does_ make you look cuter. So you've got that going for him." His cheeks turned pink as my tone shifted to a more flirtatious one. Tai was an easy guy to tease and I relished in it.

"Shut up Summer, don't mock me…" Tai grumbled childishly and I took the time to get another few bites in. The cereal was _starting_ to go soggy and I didn't want soggy cereal.

"So," I paused for a swallow, "What brings you by my humble abode?"

"Do I need a reason to visit my best friend?" My heart skipped a beat at his earnest expression, and I laughed nervously.

"That's a…good reason I guess." I shyly brushed my hair back, and I huffed as Tai gave me a lopsided grin. He was usually a _terrible_ flirt but he still found ways to surprise me after all these years. It didn't help that I actually did find him attractive no matter what I used to be before this. Not that I have any issues with that, I worked out my sexuality _years_ ago.

"So Atlas and Vale are going to space?" I shook my head, focusing on the present moment as Taiyang spoke, gesturing to the TV. I missed the details on an eventual manned mission planned for the next Vytal Festival in about a year or so. People from all walks of life would be sent into low Earth orbit, and the missions would be expanded to a greater and greater distance from Remnant.

"Apparently."

Space Opera, Space Opera, Space Opera…

"So, you ever plan to go to space yourself, You've got connections…" I rolled my eyes, ignoring him by lifting my bowl up to my lips drinking its contents as I usually did.

"I'll take that as a yes." Damn straight you will blonde. I'm going to become a space marine or _die_ trying.

I can see it now. A village surrounded by Grimm cries out for help, and out of nowhere a shooting star comes. Is it a meteor, is it a broken satellite? No! It's space marine/ODST/Startrooper/Space Alchemist Spartan Summer Flamel Rose to the rescue.

I'll come down like a rocket, snapping a Nevermore's neck with my bare _fucking_ hands. I'll be shooting Grimm left and right, I'll bitch slap a Nuckelavee in the face like a total badass.

"Heheheh." Tai scooted back with concern and fear in his eyes as a laugh escaped from the recesses of my soul.

Yes, fear me! I _am_ the night! I am B—

"Bleh! Bleh! Fucking hell!" I cursed as I spat out a shoe. That little twerp jammed one of his feet in my mouth! Oh he's dead! He was snickering the entire time and I pounced on him in retaliation. He laughed while I aimed to wring his freaking neck with my hands "You little shit! Don't you laugh at me!" My face flushed with anger and he laughed even harder.

His laughter stopped…

"U-Uh Summer?" I tilted my head at his sudden stutter, wondering what had gotten him him in such a tizzy. I adjusted my position and—

 _Oh my._

In my anger I had ended up closely straddling Taiyang. My legs sat comfortably in his lap, while my upper body pressed against his chest and neck. I felt the strong toned muscles underneath his shirt and a powerful heat settled in my stomach. The way his strong hands felt as they subconsciously gripped my hips…

"O-oh s-sorry…" I blushed as my nose met with Taiyang's and I jumped back, safely landing on the cushion.

Oh jeez I should pay more attention next time. Don't want Gilda to walk in and get the wrong idea. _And_ I should get changed and ignore the pounding of my heart in my chest. And forget the _feeling_ of his muscles and abs on my body.

Yes…let's do that…

* * *

"You okay?" I snapped my head back as a nervous sounding Taiyang calls out from behind the door. I added a pair of white yoga pants, and kept the shirt finding no good reason to change much. I opened the door, and I hid a laugh behind a cough at Tai's expression. He just…looked so nervous and jittery and it was _hilarious._

"I'm good!" A smile and a thumbs up was enough to reassure him and he calmed down.

Now…I had questions.

"Tai?"

His smile became wobbly and my smile became a tad more strained. "Yeah?"

"I know you didn't just come here to hang out. So _what_ happened?" I asked him, feeling almost as worried as when his mother was sick. Thankfully she got better…but still.

"I…you know how Cassin didn't want to become a Huntsmen?" I nodded, while I brushed my bangs back. "Well, he changed his mind."

"Wait really?" I felt amazed at the idea, Cassin had been adamant for years that he would never become a Huntsmen, especially after the shitshow with his father. I really wish he would have let me gut that little bastard. That would show him…

"Heh yeah, there was an incident with some Grimm that convinced him." I stopped him there with a cold glare.

"Give me _all_ the details, cus this sounds like something I should know." He meekly nodded and I gave him a condescending pat on the head.

"Okay it started pretty normal…

—Flashback—

Near the outskirts of the island of Patch, a new village was being constructed in what could be considered former Grimm territory. A second wave of expansion had begun after the failure of Mount Glenn. Many had fled to the several thousand square mile island to have a new life away from the ruined city. Though the city of Glenn was gone, it had slowly been taken back after the various Grimm infected caves were destroyed or emptied of the beasts of darkness. But for now, the growing populations were in Vale, Patch as well the several major cities scattered across the Kingdom.

Cassin had decided to volunteer as a small guard force in case the Grimm decided to attack the still vulnerable village. Fortunately for the guards, the new fangled radar and motion sensor system would give fair warning to an attack. The brown haired teenager gripped his still unnamed warhammer assault rifle while his left hand reached for his shield. He had a bad feeling about this place. Cassin felt a tension and energy in the air, and his soul seemed to pulsate with fear.

He jumped as a hand patted his shoulder and he gave a grunt of greeting to a tubby bear faunus that had been hired as a guard. He didn't know his name, not because he didn't want to but because he was too distracted.

"Something wrong kid?" The bear faunus sounded concerned, and Cassin sighed!as he watched over the horizon.

"There's a vibe in the air I don't like…" The bear faunus mumbled an agreement and his ears twitched.

"Yup…something's coming…" As if in response to the faunus the sensors sounded the alarm and the twelve strong guard force were now on the ready.

Cassin straightened up and his voice became more authoritative. "How many Grimm? I know that's a feature with the visual sensors." A terrified operator shakingly responded.

"Uh…the cameras are picking up. 80 beowolves, 40 Boarbatusk, 30 Ursa minor, 5 Taijitu, 2 Ursa Major and…oh gods." The operator was shaking and Cassin felt a spike of irritation at his cowardice.

"What _else?"_ The red haired operator swallowed some saliva before answering.

"A Geist…an Atsali Gigas to be precise."

Cassin flared his aura at this new knowledge and thought carefully of what he needed to do next. His mind went into overdrive, and he shouted loudly for all the villagers to stay back. An Atsali Gigas would be a massive problem, a Grimm that took possession of metal would prove to be far tougher and more agile than a more common Petra Gigas. Cassin would need to use all of his training and wit if he wanted to leave this place alive.

' _Today is just not my day is it?'_ Cassin shook his head and grimaced as a flock of birds flew overhead, a second warning to what was coming.

Gunfire suddenly rang out, making Cassin rush in with his weapon. From the treeline, the beasts of darkness rushed in with ruthless abandon hungering for bloody battle. Cassin felt disgust at the Beasts, the natural pungent smell of their kind invading his nose. The black smoke that came from their bodies unnerved, and he unleashed a rain of bullets.

 _BANG! BANG! BANG!_

With each bullet a Grimm fell, the armor piercing rifle rounds spearing through their supernaturally tough flesh. They didn't die instantly but another round was more than enough to out them down for good. Cassin frowned and twisted his hips, deflecting a blow from an Ursa. He pushed the Grimm back, with a shield bash to its face.

' _It's pretty big for an Ursa but I don't think it's an Ursa Major. At least…not yet. I guess I'll go with a test drive.'_ Summer had convinced him to add some Dust and alchemical capabilities to his shield. His shield was conductive to aura and had several different Dust crystals built into it.

The Ursa screamed as an electric current surged through its body. It ended with shock as a blast of white-hot fire seared it's flesh, and it wobbled before falling dead.

He was suddenly surrounded by a pack of drooling beowolves led by what he could see was an Alpha if the addition armor and spikes didn't make it obvious. In that lull Cassin's thought ran at hyperspeed. ' _Two beowolves to my left, three to the right, four behind, and the Alpha in front. How about…'_

The pack struck and Cassin dropped to his back before activating the Gravity Dust within his shield. The beowolves were struck by a gravity wave, cracking their armor with the impact. Cassin flipped onto his feet and shot off some bullets, striking a few hits, scouring through beowolf hide.

He _smashed_ his war hammer into the side of one hot heated individual, punching it's skull in with the devastating blow. The two to his left fell to a shield _blast_ shattering their spines, and he spun on his heel stabbing the Alpha with the bladed end of his shield.

The Grimm drew back with a snarl, and was met with a wave of ice sealing it's eyes shut. Cassin smirked as the sound of shotguns silenced the other Grimm leaving him alone with the furious Alpha.

It swiped with its blood coated claws and Cassin blocked it out of instinct. He realized his mistake as the Alpha wrapped it's hands around the edges. Cassin's arm screamed as the wolf pulled, trying to rip his defense out of his hands.

' _It's trying to take my shield! Shit!'_ He grit his teeth before unleashing a Gravity blast, throwing the Grimm off. He barely kept his grip on the shield and sighed in relief. He channeled his aura to his legs, and _charged_ into the Alpha with all the force of a truck crash. The Alpha met him head on, and he relished in the hiss of pain as its skin sizzled away under the intense heat of his shield.

"How about this you monster!" Cassin braced his arm as he lifted up his war games and _fired._ He had switched to a explosive round and internally cheered as the grimms jaw was blown off by the Fire Dust warhead. He kept his shield up and brought down his hammer, ignoring the splattering of Grimm grey matter he grinned.

"Not half bad kid!" He pressed the trigger, shooting six explosive bullets into a Taijitu. The white snake hissed as its insides broiled and Cassin went on the offensive. He cracked through the snakes scales with a bash of his hammer, and he quickly climbed up to meet the furious Grimm.

He flipped his hammer, and stabbed the pointed end of the head right into the snakes skull.

 _SHINK!_

The Grimm went still, as the blade extended into its skull case.

Cassin pulled out his weapon and leaped off, leaving as crater as he landed. He felt proud of himself for taking out the Grimm but knew it wasn't time to relax. The battlefield still rung with the sounds of dying Grimm and dying people. He followed his ears to an eerie roar and started flat out running, attracting the bear faunus's attention.

On the way Cassin brought down a dozen weakened beowolves and tore his eyes away from the sight of the mangled body of the operator. His crushed ribs and spilled out internal organs was enough to tell him the man had fallen to a Taijitu.

' _I didn't know you well. But I promise I'll avenge you.'_

He picked up the pace as he heard what sounded like a _younger_ cry. The footsteps behind picked up instantly at the sound, and Cassin had a sinking feeling in his stomach.

Cassin skidded to a stop as a pile of metal blocked his way. The pillar had come out of nowhere. He nearly cloth lined the faunus, having some suspicions. The meta looked like it had came from a construction site, pieces of aluminum, steel, and iron flowed together seamlessly.

Cassin looked up…

And up, and up, _and_ up…

The red glowing eye of a 20 meter tall Atsali Gigas glared down at the puny by comparison humans.

" **GHHHHHAHHHH!** "

' _OH SHIT!'_

From behind a poorly guarded rock, two shivering bear faunus kids cried out as they held a prone women. The bear faunus was shaking, his hands practically _crushing_ the grip of the halberd in his eyes.

"You…" Cassin tried to push in front of the faunus, and yelped as the older man pushed him aside.

"H-Hey let's think rationally here. We need to have a plan." The man stopped and Cassin almost relaxed.

"Yeah…a plan sounds good." The man's voice was deathly cold and Cassin felt a Choo run down his spine. "Now how about…"

' _Oh please don't.'_

"I TEAR OUT THIS BASTARDS SPINE AND SHOVE IT UP IT'S OWN ASS!" The faunus _leaped_ stabbing his halberd right into the bests arm joint.

' _Double shit!'_

* * *

The remain guards had been doing battle with the Grimm for half an hour, and only the Gigas was left. It proved the most resilient and now only three people stood in its way. If they failed here well over a hundred people could did.

Cassin wouldn't let that happen. He had seen what losing family could do to a person. He remembered the expression on Umber's face upon learning of her mother's death, he remembered the night terrors Summer still suffered from.

He needed to think…that was when an idea hit him. Something Summer and Umber had told him about Geist. _Their_ weakness…

But there isn't anyone with enough fire power to bring its limbs down. There was nothing he could do anymore. No allies, no Dust warheads with enough oomph, this was it. His allies were going to die, the _villagers_ were going to die, and most importantly…

 _He was going to die!_

"AHHHHH!" Cassin charged in a final stand against the end. His body ached his soul cried out, and raw _power_ surged in his veins. His dark brown-red aura simmered with a building up of _something._

' _I refuse to die like this!'_ Those limbs _had_ to go, and _he_ would…bring them down!

The Grimm warbled as he jumped into the air with a roar, his hammer poised to cave in its metal innards. Overwhelming _energy_ flowed from the core of his being, and it needed _release…_

Cassin would _give_ it release…

 _BWOOOOM!_

* * *

Cassin shot up from his sleep and blinked owlishly as the unfamiliar surroundings came into focus. He gripped the white bed sheet, and grimaced at the dozen and a half bodies laid in a haphazard pile. He breathed deeply, and felt relief that the bear faunus's body wasn't one of the corpses on display.

"Well I'll be a monkey's uncle!" Cassin growled as he was forcefully lifted off thy ground by the hands and tail(?) of a monkey faunus. The man, a doctor based on the coat he was wearing, looked relieved as well as fascinated. "Thank God you woke up before we made the call our else your mama would be pretty confused."

Cassin gave the faunus a puzzled expression and shrugged not caring for the specifics. The doctors gaze suddenly peered behind him and Cassin turned around. Two little girls stared at him with awe and reverence and he didn't know how to take the situation.

"Uh hi…" His smile was awkward and unpracticed yet the girls responded with sweet smiles anyway. Cassin's heart practically skipped a beat at the children's heartfelt expressions.

Both children bowed in gratitude. " _Thank you so much Mister…if it wasn't for you daddy would be…be._ " Both children tackled his pillar like legs and now Cassin was even more of of his depth.

"I…your welcome?" He patted their heads with a half hearted Smile, not finding it in him to deny them. His eyes flashed with hope as the father approached him, though all hope was lose as the tall man lifted up his hands for an embrace.

Cassin was now caught in a familial bear hug and remained completely caught off guard. The look of gratefulness in the small families eyes…was appeasing. The family let go and brushed away any signs of weakness.

"Thank you young man for saving me and my daughters. I don't think we can ever repay you." Cassin's cheeks blazed red and he hoped they couldn't see it, though their cheeky grins told him he wasn't that fortunate.

"We _all_ are grateful for what you've done for us!" Cassin was left startled as the village practically dog piled him. Each villages sang his praises, yet that wasn't what caught his attention.

It was the peace and reassurance in their eyes that moved him. His presence _alone_ was enough to calm them and bring hope. Because of his efforts they were all alive. He _saved_ them…from a fate no one wanted.

"I'll be right back." Cassin fled the crowd and after a short chase found a quiet spot where he cemented his new direction in life.

" _Hey Taiyang._ " His voice was soft as he spoke to his friend of nearly four years.

" _Yello?_ "

" _You know how I said I didn't want to be a Huntsmen?_ "

" _Yeah…why?_ "

" _Well I may have…made some changes in my plan._ "

There was a loud gasp on the other line. Suddenly a crashing sound resounded form the phone.

" _Tai?_ "

" _I'm okay!_ "

—Not a Flashback—

Well…that's one way to get roped into the path of a Huntsmen…I didn't expect that from Cassin but it was a welcome change. It meant that going to Beacon wouldn't be as lonely as I thought it would be. I would get to have a few of my friends attend alongside me.

"Cool right?" Taiyang asked with a cheeky grin.

My signature grin was all I needed to respond with.

"Yep!"

* * *

" **The mortals are starting to pick up on the existence of Magic again…** "

"What of it..?"

Two voices spoke in a strange void, one of a female nature while the other was quite androgynous.

" **Death…does that human know you are not the full aspect of Entropy?** "

"I'm sure she has…if I was then my power would be limitless…but the world does not like such things."

" **The spirits have grown quite excited again. The loss of the city of Alchemy dealt a big blow against their resurgence after the 'Gods' took possession of this world.** "

"But your _thrall_ spreading alchemy to her friends and revealing its existence to the Atlesian scientist has brought them hope. With the Gods gone…they can renew the age of Old and combine it with the New."

" **SHE IS NOT MY THRALL REAPER!** "

"I only jest…Spirit of Light." The more effeminate voice grumbled and the other voice chuckled a heart of echoing laugh.

" **The other spirits have started to prepare Pacts like that of the Wizard and** _ **them.**_ **Or of mine with the sil…well you get the idea.** "

"Don't cut yourself off for the audiences sake it's completely unnecessary!"

" **Excuse me?** "

"Oh it's nothing…not like there's anyone watching us right now." A whistling sound followed.

" **Sometimes…I** _ **really**_ **hate you.** "

"Meh…I'm this worlds manifestation of Death. It comes with the job. And right now I have a few souls to harvest, before _she_ can take them."

" **Soon that dark bitch won't be a problem. And the girls foreknowledge has proven interesting for my kind.** "

"Stopped listening…bye bye!" Footsteps echoed and a gate harshly shuttered shut.

" **Well at least this century will prove more entertaining than the previous 100. I hope** **you take care of my child well Ozpin or there will be...consequences...** "

* * *

 **Author's Note:**

Bet you didn't see that coming did yuh? Death hasn't been seen since the first chapter and over time I started to have a problem with that. It's a common trope with SI's, some random omnipotent being grabs our wayward hero and throws him into another dimension before never being seen again. So having him at least play a role of some sort just feels right. Admittingly he isn't even the one to fully bring me here. He's the gatekeeper you could say. The guy who fills out the paperwork.

As to why I introduced magic as well as these Spirits, it would be kind of weird for there to be three different magic-like things running on different sources of energy. Though aura and magic are interconnected and play a role in the formation of Dust that will be elaborated on in the future. Though why Maiden Magic is so potent will also be explained later on...

Besides that...I'm sure you're all going to be speculating on what that other voice is, and her importance.

So I guess this is goodbye, see you in two weeks. And if you notice any _glaring_ typos please let me know...


	12. Year One Arc: Chapter 8

**Author's Note:**

Hah, the new chapter is kind of earlier than I originally planned. In fact I plan to release the next one by the end of this week. The following chapters will take the recent revelations into account, with the appropriate changes involving this stories own history.

Anyway thanks for the reviews and follows...again don't own any franchises referenced here.

* * *

 **Chapter Eight: The Entrance Exam**

Ohhh boy…today is the day then…and I find Taiyang in the embrace of Jayleen.

Ignoring the strange pang in my heart I forcefully separated them. A quick once over told me Taiyang had no say in this. Actually now that I'm taking a better look, I can see what looked like a sticky rope of some kind. "Did you get pranked." I asked him with a raised eyebrow and exasperation in my voice. He nodded unable to meet my eyes. I alchemically removed the residue of the glue, and decided to wake up Jayleen.

I gave Tai a little kick and he scurried out of the room in a real hurry. Now let's wake up our little fairy. I jumped onto the bed, crawling into her personnel space. I ended up straddling the girl, snickering all the while.

 _Poke. Poke._

 _Poke._

"ghhh…leave me alone…" I giggled at Jayleen's cute sleepy mumble. I poked her mushy face a few more times but when she didn't stir I moved on to a new tactic. I flipped my blonde buddy onto her back, and my eyes honed in on her rising chest.

 _Poke. Poke._

Her eyes fluttered open, and silver met ocean blue. I grinned, and Jayleen smiled back.

Her smirk widened as I rested my elbows on her chest. "Do you _really_ need to grope us all the time? Besides you _can_ just ask if you want a feel. And you do have your own." I shrugged with pink dusting my cheeks if the widening of her smirk wasn't any indication.

I did have a tendency to _occasionally_ cop a feel whenever I gave a hug to any of my friends. Not anything serious of course and the first time I did it was because I was half asleep and one of my hands groped where they shouldn't. I mainly did it because of how they reacted. Umber and Cassin let out adorable squeaks, while our two blondes yelped and turned as red as tomatoes.

I got off of her, and pulled her out of bed so we could get ready. She yawned, rubbing her eyes as she woke up.

"It's time." She went still and examined my face for a moment. When she got the answer she needed she _blurred_ and an avalanche of clothing impacted me. Jayleen frantically searched her closet for what to wear, filling her bed and the floor

"Shit, shit, shit, shit SHIT!"

Today was going to be a good day.

* * *

I fidgeted under my cloak as the bullhead gently swayed in the wind. We had taken an air ride to Vale for the Entrance Exam that's typically mandatory for Beacon Students unless they receive a recommendation from a trusted authority. It reminded me a lot of some of my faded memories of Hero Academia. Though in this case it was for college age students and the goal was to train people to hunt Monsters instead of fight Villains. Though Huntsmen are less heroes and more sanctioned mercenaries than anything else.

Who knows…someday I might get sent on a mission to bring down a rogue Huntsmen. Unfortunate that I would likely have to kill them if they don't willingly surrender…

It's a fact of life but Huntsmen are _absurdly_ dangerous to people with locked Aura or poorly trained. As had been obvious and even referenced in various RWBY fics, a single Huntsmen could slaughter villages on their own. The gulf in power was too wide for any other outcome to happen. Maybe…I should lay off the heavy topics for now, I'm bumming myself out.

Now…when I meant _we,_ I was talking about the little group of friends I had made in Patch largely by accident, though a fortunate one. They helped a lot with my adjustment to this world and I was grateful for their help over the years.

Even when I still haven't told them my biggest secret…

"Hey we're here!" I was knocked out of my funk when Tai gave me a nudge. On my right stood Tai and Jayleen, and to my left Umber and Cassin. And in front of me was the city of Val—

"Holy shit…" the first time I had gone to Beacon I had been playing a Scroll game so I never saw the city in person.

The city was enormous spanning from horizon to horizon for as far as my eyes could see. The city has to be the size of a small country if my eyes weren't deceiving me. My friends had the same dumbfounded look of awe on their faces.

The bullhead shuddered as we dropped down onto the landing pad. My stomach lurched at the sudden stop, and I shoved another pill into Jayleen's mouth to make sure she wouldn't throw up. Turns out she shared Jaune's propensity for air sickness, if that little noodle incident from a few months ago wasn't answer enough.

Please don't ask…

"So…" I probably looked like the Cheshire cat as my excitement got the better of me. "Shall we?"

"Yes."

"Yup."

"Yeah."

Now I can see how far I've come after all these years…

* * *

I tapped the plating of my armor as I waited for the first section of the Entrance Exam to start. For all of extents and purposes it did look like a spartan undersuit, just more form fitting and lighter built. There was one _minor_ difference however, a long skirt that served to make me look a bit more friendly than some emotionless super soldier. Turns out some of the reasons that Hunters dress so… _oddly_ is so civilians aren't completely disconnected from their protectors. Hunters aren't _meant_ to be faceless soldiers. Another reason to forgo the helmet in the test though I still planned to use it in my career. But we're getting off track here, let's focus on what we're doing.

Now for the Exam there were six different categories that would all be assessed to evaluate whether we had the right to join the prestigious ranks of Beacon Academy.

This first section was in Agility. The goal was simple, we had to cross to the end of an obstacle course in the least amount of time possible using any means necessary. Though points will be deducted based on damage to equipment, which makes a great deal of sense. The reasons as to why should be rather visible.

From the corner of my eye I saw the various teachers judging us for our performance, including Ozpin who was sipping some hot cocoa from what my nose picked up. Thank you my precious semblance.

The test starts with no warning and I flip Gungnir around for a propulsive shot. I rocket into the air, hitting a 100 meters per second in the blink of an eye. No ounce of aura wasted for getting me up to speed. Something I should have figured out years ago. Providing an even greater amount of recoil than Crescent Rose, I could fire a propulsive shot, adding even more momentum to my spear thrust. For now I didn't have to do that, I just need to avoid the obstacles. As I flew over the field I remembered some of the small errors I had corrected over the last few years.

While the recoil of a gun can be modified by aura and routinely is, the basal recoil is still 24300 newtons for something like Crescent Rose. From what I can tell Dust propellant and aura augments the mass of a round, so Dust bullets are only somewhat faster than smokeless powder. Based on my more informed estimates, a Huntsmen grade anti material rifle is the equivalent of a 250 gram round fired at 1400 meters per second. My gun is much more powerful but it's round is lighter and shot out at higher velocity. Though again aura takes care of that for me.

Especially since the recent revelation about the _true_ power gulf between me and a trainee Huntsmen. A week or two before the Entry Exam Gilda showed me a technique many elite Huntsmen had developed.

Aura Suppression.

Most Huntsmen were able to _hide_ their aura to reduce the chance of alerting a Grimm as well as for efficiency purposes. Not wasting unneeded energy for nothing. Her true aura levels were _quadruple_ the level she had when I first fought her with Gungnir. The amount she had made me feel like Gungnir was a mere peashooter for what little it would do. If…my calculations were correct it would take a _hundred_ rounds to break through her aura with Gungnir without aura.

The sense of inadequacy was tempered by the fact that I had long since figured out how to use Gungnir as the conduit for my aura. I still wouldn't be able to keep up speed wise but it was better than before.

 _Okay focus back on the race._

My eyes narrowed as two red and black blurs raced, outpacing most of the dozens of other candidates. Who those two people were…well if things haven't been changed enough, it'd probably be Qrow and and Raven.

Should probably go… _faster_

 _SHOOM!_

I was propelled forward by an explosion adding even more speed as well as air time. I fell down in an arc, and at the last second slowed myself with another propulsive shot, crossing the finishing line with a bang.

I finished in fourth place and pat Umber in third place. At the front stood the red and black blurs with their backs turned to us.

Yup…definitely Raven and Qrow though my attention was caught by three pats on the back. Everyone else had caught up with Jayleen in fifth place, and the boys being more middle of the pack in terms of speed. Which made sense, they weren't speedsters like any of us. Even if I haven't used any leg muscles for this course.

Uh…onto the next test!

* * *

Now onto the Aura test.

It's mainly just a demonstration of how much control we have over our own aura. The tests are rather draining since the tests are often rather intensive and in depth.

To be honest in my case I think I have this test in the bag due to my aura levels alone. My aura level was half an order of magnitude above the levels of the lighter and more ninja like builds among us. Though the gap would decrease as they became more experienced. So I'll have maybe double the average for a Huntsmen? Anyway my skills with the various aura movement and combat techniques have won me a few points. Mainly the more obscure and less used ones like skating, flying, and shockwaves. I had even developed a spear specific form of aura slash. Not the most potent move however…

Though my skills in aura _paled_ in comparison to what Umber and Jayleen were capable of. Jayleen due to the complexity of her semblance, and Umber due to her _lack_ of a semblance.

I suppressed a yawn, my energy draining itself slowly as the day dragged on. Though I suspect the drainage of my aura had a greater effect than anything else.

Taiyang had a wide smirk as he finished the test, as did Cassin which told me all I needed to know about the next test.

* * *

Now the Strength Test.

Now it should be obvious what this will test. Our strength without the use of our weapons. A variety of devices were distributed across the hall to measure us up. Punching machines, weights, and whatever else would be needed.

With little hesitation I lowered into a stance to unleash my not so tiny fury onto the padding of the punching machine. I rolled my eyes as some of the scruffier and more unruly eyes followed my movements. I was 90% sure those pervy bastards were staring at my ass.

Fuckers…I'll show what happens if you mess with me.

 _SMASH!_

The machine creaked as I threw as much force as I could muster within reason. No need to strain myself too much. Most of the males behind me paled and with a cheeky grin I lifted a finger, gesturing a punch toward it. They all avoided me like the plague and I laughed quietly making way for Taiyang. I memorized the score before he took his turn.

"Did you have to do that?" I nodded as Taiyang got ready.

Fifty four sounds low but this machine measures in _tons_ of force, so around 480,384 newtons of force in one punch. Not as impressive as what the boys can do, but better than most of the other candidates who are basically just mooks.

"HYAHHH!" Tai roars, his fist denting the poor machine as its hit with the force of a small artillery barrage. I held my snicker back as the machine smoked and sputtered and I took the score for him.

"200" He _beamed._

"A good way to show off what I can do right?" everyone's dumbfounded expressions was a good answer to his statement.

Now…next test!

* * *

God dammit I won't even _bother_ to describe the Endurance test.

 _The Pacer test is a—_

"Please kill me…" I groaned as I gently slammed my head into the wall. Cassin patted my back gently as I complained.

"It's going to be okay…" Tai took Cassin's place rubbing my back to take away the damn aches.

Ughhhh. _Whhhhyyy?_

* * *

"Your semblance please?" The proctor asked with a serious tone and I straightened up, focusing my attention. This was among the most important tests, having control of your semblance provided a sizable advantage above other candidates. Luckily I've taken some time to figure out what to call it.

"Alchemical Manipulation." A bit on the nose but I felt that it was a good name for my semblance. The proctor raised an eyebrow at the name but let it go just as quickly.

"What can it do?"

I cleared my throat and then answered. "It's a form of telekinesis of sorts. I can manipulate matter and energy on a relatively limited scale. Usually manifesting as runes for the more…complicated uses."

"Care to demonstrate." I gave her my assent and focused my soul and—

 _BOOOMM!_

A firestorm erupted from my right hand, while the left emitted ice and wind. I sapped the fire of its energy by generating a vacuum and then pressed my hands together, several tons of earth following my command and then thrown with the energy of a small car.

More tests followed after that. Generating bolts of lightning, shooting off short range heat rays by manipulating light, forming metallic weapons from the ground. Though the limitations became obvious later on. I could only learn so much about Alchemy while learning aura at the same time.

Most of my expertise lies in biological and elemental alchemy and I dabbled in some others as well. Though I suppose that was all I really needed for combat.

The test came to an end and we moved onto the next one.

* * *

"Skills huh?" I muttered as I entered the room I was going to use. It was primarily to test what I was good at. In my case that was long range combat, as a sniper and my use of grenades I had a great amount of range as well. At the same time Taiyang was excited and we gave each other a mutual nod.

Demonstrating my overall combat style was going to be great. I would hope anyway.

"Summer Flamel Rose?" I followed one of the proctors voice, entering into a much larger room. Several of the examiners were in the room watching me closely, their critical eyes making me a little nervous.

"That's me." The examiner asks me how my weapons works and I end up going into a long spiel. After a few minutes of gushing he raises my hand to stop and I take a breath. While Gungnir's mech shifting isn't as complex as that of the newer generations of weapons. It's still a real marvel and I feel pride in managing to create such a beauty.

"A lovely weapon. You must be proud of your work." I shrugged and he gestured for the simple simulation to start. "Now since you're weapon is built for long and close range combat in mind that is what the test will be focusing on."

The room opened up and multiple targets started to open up. They were solid holograms in the form of Ursa. They moved…

 _BANG!_

I scored a headshot punching through it. Another pops up and I put it down just as quickly. I fire and hit again. Three more show up at the same time and I shoot them all down. Several holograms show up in close and I switch to halberd mode, cutting through two holograms, and aimed for a few more shots.

Four targets down…

Headshot. Headshot again. Overhead strike. Spear thrust. Grenade launch, six targets down. The simulation only gets faster and faster and a wild grin pulls at my lips when I got the idea. The targets were swarming me, I needed to use _that_ mode. A small flick _and…_

I held the trigger down for a mere two seconds. In those two seconds I brought down nearly a hundred targets. I let out a breath as the buzzer sounded, ending the test. I placed Gungnir into its appropriate holder on my belt and yawned.

"So how'd I do?" I couldn't keep the bemusement from my voice at their shocked expression.

~Nailed it~

* * *

Despite my self confidence the two week wait was still rather agonizing. For all I know I might get rejected anyway, whether there's some better recommended student or just a lack of room. I huffed, my hands gripping tightly onto the just recently received letter.

Fuck it let's open it!

I ravenously tear into the slip of paper not even bothering to keep the exquisite lettering intact. I read the letter with glee.

 _Dear Miss Summer Rose._

 _We at Beacon Academy have taken notice of your talents and—_

Is that someone squeeing or is that just me?

"EEEEEE…" Just to make sure that I wasn't hearing things. But the sound keeps coming anyway so I cleaned out my ears a few times just to make sure yet the sound was still there as annoying as ever.

"What the hell?"

"EEEEEE!" I tried to flee but by then it was futile as I was glomped by a brown and white blur. I pried off the excited rabbit faunus that was Umber, the girl bouncing from foot to foot _thumping_ the ground with every step.

"So you got in?" Based on the elated look on her face that was a foregone conclusion.

"Yes! Yes! I did it! Mom is going to be so proud!" I was glomped a second time, this time I wrapped my hands around her thin waist reciprocating the hug. I could appreciate the size difference more easily now. Ignoring her ears, Umber was nearly a half foot shorter than me at 5'6. And she wasn't heavily built either so in comparison to me she was like forty or fifty pounds lighter. And my armored combat boots weren't doing her any favors.

So adorable…

"You got in too?" I nodded with a quiet hum as I looked at my surroundings. The signs of the coming fall and winter were clear to all. The leaves of the forest were slowly turning a shade of orange and red meaning it wouldn't be much longer. Maybe around two more weeks before we enter into the first semester in November.

"It's going to be great! I can earn some respect for the faunus by joining and get the needed income to support myself and my mom." That was a good reason to join, the only counter was the unfortunately high attrition rate of Huntsmen. Though some recent analysis I had made brought up that once a Hunter has a few years under their belt, that the rate of death drops substantially. Especially if they stay together with their teams, and apparently it's recommended to start retiring around the time humans start slowing down, in our 40s? Though I have heard things about people with aura having higher lifespans than regular humans.

"Yeah it's going to be great." I dropped out of the hug with a small affectionate smile. But my smile faded as I thought about the future.

I'd been putting it off for a while but I knew about the future pretty well by now. My memories of V1 to V5 are pretty clear and I might remember a few episodes about V6 but I can't be sure…

I…couldn't trust Ozpin…he's too paranoid for my liking and honestly I get that. How many times have people said to trust them only to betray him later. It was clear he was never the best candidate to save the world, it's a job forced upon him for thousands of years.

After a while it must grow tiring and overwhelming…and don't get me started on how much must be on his mind. Though to be frank the sheer _sloppiness_ of his later years could be due to senility for all I know. He's a dead man walking and when I've talked with him or played a game on the rare occasion I could convince him to relax. I could see how fundamentally _broken_ he was.

"Is there something wrong?" I faked a smile at Umber's concerned face.

"Nah, everything's fine…I'm just thinking" I felt relief as my friend took me by my word. "It's actually really exciting isn't it? We're going to Beacon!" I tapped my feet against the ground, my excitement getting the better of me.

"Yeah…we will." Umber turned, her dark eyes twinkling. "Do you think we'll be able to make a team together?"

I rolled my shoulders, getting a satisfying crack. "Well, maybe but if what my sister says is correct the choice of your teammate is random." Her ears drooped at my reply and I patted her back to make he feel better.

"Don't be sad, we'll still be friends even if we are on different teams." Her smile came back at my genuine belief.

No matter what, we would be friends as long as possible…

"Hey, real quick is it alright with you if we go that new marketplace…err mall they've built? I heard their selling some good quality Dust and I want to pick up some."

I don't see any not.

* * *

I swiveled my head, taking in the sights of the many new stores placed in the burgeoning town. If it wasn't obvious before it was definitely obvious now. The world was already changing substantially, hell I was even hearing some plans on taking back Mount Glenn, but in this case it would be a wide scale mining operation instead. Some machines capable of sensing differences in gravity picked up a gigantic deposit of Dust.

I imagine if they had known before the city would have been more heavily defended. Dust is some _powerful_ shit. The density does seem to vary depending on the quality of the Dust, but even in the worse case scenarios, Dust has a density of around 2160 megajoules per kilogram. So ten times more energy dense than _metallic hydrogen._

So yeah…it's why the current chemical based rocket industry is only a tide over until they can figure out how to sustain Dust in space.

"Summer," I snapped out of my inner monologue, Umber had picked up her Dust and was storing it in an armored briefcase. "I've got the Dust, there anything you want?"

"Uh n—ohhh!" I stuttered as a small weight crashed into my stomach. Umber giggles and my eyes drifted down to a small and _adorable_ figure.

She was a small white haired girl of Atlesien descent wearing a small blue and white patterned dress. Her hair was pulled up into a ponytail and she cocked her heart shaped face as her ice blue eyes met my silver ones.

 _Oh my god she's adorable! I want to give her a hug!_

No, don't hug the random _adorable_ little girl. Don't want an angry parent to run you off. I frowned as the girl withdrew from me, her eyes were darting about the crowd as if looking for someone.

Oh.

"Uh…looking for your parents little one?" The girl nodded and shock climbed up my spine when I saw the Schnee symbol proudly displayed on her chest. Winter Schnee huh? She's a cute kid…regardless of her drunkard mother and her greedy father.

"Yes? I need sohm assistance, can you help me find them?" My arm twitched as the compulsion to hug her came back in full force.

My god she was the cutest little thing in the entire world! But I must hold back, otherwise I might get tackled by an armed guard. Though depending on who they were I may or may not be able to _easily_ beat the ever living shit out of them.

"Yes I can help you find them. Do you mind if my friend here can help too?" Umber shyly waved, though her sweet smile became strained as the winter themed girl shrunk back.

"H-Hey don't be scared I'm not going to hurt you." The look on Winter's face was heartbreaking. What had her father beeng teaching her to make her this way? What had faunus rights extremist done to make her this way. Umber's bunny ears drooped sadly, her left ear covering her left eye. She looked dejected at the distrusting expression on the little girls face. "But I just want to help…"

"I-I'm sorry please don't cry!" I was startled as Winter spoke up, the panic on her face sparking some hope. "It's just daddy said I shouldn't trust…" she slowed her roll there and the slight widening of Umber's eyes told me all I needed to know.

"I understand…but I won't be a problem. I'm training to be a Huntsmen you see?" Winter's eyes twinkled and she was suddenly at our side instead of standing apart from us.

"Really that's so cool!" At our amused look her excitement cooled. "I mean that is an excellent line of work." I held back an eye roll at Jacques terrible parenting skills. Trying to raise a little automaton instead of raising a human being.

"I know." Umber was preening at the girls slight praise. "But first we should be looking for your parents yes?" Winter hesitantly agreed and scanned the crowd, Umber tapped her head and the girl parked up. With a smirk she pouted to her ears and the appendages swiveled as they picked through the noise and babble of the crowd. "With _these_ I'll be able to find your mom and dad, animal ears are pretty useful when you want to find someone."

"That's cool too…" Umber tilted her head and walked in a certain direction. I followed her and after a few moments of mulling it over, offered my hand to the frightened girl.

I squeed internally as the young girl took my hand, her delicate little hands swallowed up by my rougher and larger hands. A sharp contrast that belied the difference in our lives.

I guess no matter what life I live or what I look like. I would positively think kids are _adorable…_

* * *

This is taking longer than I was expecting. Apparently they're moving around pretty frantically and we've had to go around in circles to track them down. In that time I ended up buying an almond soft pretzel for Winter. Checking for allergies beforehand so I wouldn't be accused of assassination of an heiress.

Eventually some faunus noticed our plight and pointed us in the right direction. Surrounded by an armed guard, I could see the couple looking around worriedly. Jacques Schnee was tapping his foot against the concrete like he was going to break out into dance. But it was only miss…Willow Schnee who showed any real concern, her husband only seemed to think of it as an inconvenience rather than a disaster.

I felt a strange protective rage against him. Everything _about_ him disgusted me…his business practices, his greed and from I've dug up, his _debauchery._

I don't have any issues with having a kinky sex life that's their business and not mine. But what I've heard paints him in a bad light, much less when it's clear that his wife has no participation in his "activities". If I ever get married or in a serious relationship they ain't gonna sleep with other people unless it's decided between us.

Now if it wasn't for all his _immoral_ shit I probably wouldn't care too much. Running a business is cutthroat, but his near complete disregard for common law is a good example of the deficiencies of the kingdoms. The way corporations operates and are given free reign reminds me a lot of what it was like in the United States.

Now I liked my country but I have to admit their laws were pretty fucked in a number of factors. I actually had some respect that the European Union had the balls to actually take their own companies into account to at least _some_ extent. Their strong worker protection rights were definitely a plus too, and the difference in their economic growth wasn't even that different.

But I'm not here to talks about politics right now.

"Those your parents?" The little ice princess nodded and this time she was dragging us instead of the other way around. I kept my breath steady as the guards encircled the two important rich folks. Winter's father _sneered_ as Umber in particular drew close, but his disdain for me was easy to see too. Winter's breath became shuddery and I squeaked her hand gently.

"It's okay sweetie everything is going to be fine, I promise." She relaxed, and her neutral expression shifted into a wide eyed smile. I ignored Umber's knowing smile, a hot blush my only visible reaction.

Damn parental/maternal instincts…

I felt a twitch as the guards came in aggressively until Jacques pulled them back. I relaxed and poked Winter, gesturing in the direction of her parents. Her eyes widened and she gave me a polite and thankful nod. I grinned affectionately as she squeezed my hand two times before letting go and slowly walking to her parents. Her mother moved to embrace her but Jacques gestured for her to stop.

I wondered what he wanted?

The businessman faced the both of us and I nearly raise both my eyebrows as he offered…a handshake? After a few moments Umber was the first to take the initiative shaking the man's hand with mild confusion. I took his hand next and I felt my skin crawl at the way he looked at me. The look left him, as a realization struck him. He paled and took his hand back.

At least I don't have to worry about _that._

"I must thank you kindly for returning my daughter. We've been very worried for her safety."

"It was no trouble man." I winced as the phrase came out unintentionally. I was thinking about Scooby Doo for some reason, and it slipped out. "I mean she _is_ just a child and as a Huntress in training it is kind of the right thing to do." His lip upturned for a moment as if amused.

"Of course… regardless!" I jolted up as he placed his hand on my shoulder, giving me a light pat. "If you ever need any assistance then…" he passed us each a number. "Call this number." I nodded absently and when the man turned his back I flitted my eyes to his…rather sexy wife in question. She shrugged, her own expression utterly baffled.

"Thank you…" Despite her husband's strange behavior the women still appreciated us helping them out. This is a little embarrassing but I might have been watching that…incredibly _sexy_ women rather closely. Her blue-white dress _sinfully_ cling to her figure, and I couldn't help but find something in me…stirring for a few moments.

I licked my lips, and shook my head getting the dirty thoughts out of my system. It only got worse when I noticed that the older women was giving me a sly smirk. My eyes followed the sway of her hips for a few seconds before I forcibly tore my eyes away from them.

I blushed when Umber placed her hand on my shoulder, a wide smirk on her face.

"So," oh god kill me now. "Didn't know you were into MILFs"

"I hate you…" Umber wrapped an arm around me with a smug smile.

"No you don't hate me. You _love_ me and you know it. We're best friends remember?"

Heh.

Heh.

 _Heh._

Well she's not wrong we are best friends I would think.

But I wonder why Jacques was suddenly so friendly with the two of us? Well…whatever it was I hope it isn't for anything perverted or I'll snap his neck…

…

…

I should go back to the house and relax…still wonder what's going on? But I'm sure it'll all come to a head soon. If Ruby inherited protagonist fever from me, I'll end up being a trouble magnet soon enough.

* * *

Unbeknownst to the otherworldly human with silver eyes, powerful forces both sinister and otherwise were waking up after many tens of thousands of years. Across Remnant they found willing hosts to bind themselves too, or unwilling slaves to spread their chaos and tendrils into the material plane.

Personally I think it a foolish endeavor to possess humans. I have no need of assistance in this particular realm. In fact my job is easier without the meddling of those foolish "god" brothers.

Hmm…for now let us see which of my kind have chosen their hosts.

* * *

A certain businessman smoked silently from a cold balcony looking at the broken moon of Remnant with a critical eye. The Schnee was exhausted from a several hour long meeting after a recent scandal due to his acquired businesses lack of safety regulations. With the current racial climate at the time he thought he would be able to get away with the harsh conditions for at least another decade or two.

But the recent Gravity Dust explosion resulting in crushing a mine in a 1000G environment was too much even for him. His inner greed told him he could easily pay off the government but another voice told him there would be long term consequences that would come to bite him.

The voice had become more and more prominent and the man feared he was going mad. Until a new Schnee built aural sensor picked up a source of energy surrounding him. After some careful and discrete digging up of information he learned what was haunting him.

" _A smart man…have you finally decided to form our contract? You've gotten your lawyers to work out the details yessss?_ " Jacques nodded and held back a shudder as a scaly body slithered around his body. The being resembled a green garter snake; though its upper body scales had the same pattern as a tuxedo of all things. A pair of glasses covered its eyes and it hung in midair waiting for the Atlas native's response.

"After much time I've _reconsidered_ my previous opinion after further study of your kind, Spirit."

The spirit smirked despite lacking the muscles to do so. " _I would think so…after that little incident. I told you your cost-cutting would lead to consequences. Ones you can not hide from forever. In the short term the profit is excellent but in the long term…the faunus may resort to more…violent approaches._ "

Jacques clicked his tongue in annoyance. "So I must accede to their demands and pay them more?"

" _Indeed,_ " the man didn't look happy. " _However eventually the mining industry will become heavily mechanized and automated and the people will be disgruntled."_

"So what do I do?" The man was desperate, his cowardice showing through for a moment.

"You create job opportunities in less laborious fields. Science, the arts, build schools and create neighborhood rejuvenation projects. The more educated the populace is, the more money they make, the more they spend on your products. A large robust middle class is what is needed to breathe life into your company."

"Hmm…I think I'm ready to make this contract." The reptile like spirit covered up their excitement and it conjured up its contract. "But to be sure on my part how much do you believe in your theory Spirit?

"I am a Spirit of Business and Long Term Planning _human._ It is in my very nature to be correct."

* * *

Her life was a rather strange one by the standards of the average native of the world of Remnant. She didn't sleep, she went into sleep mode, she didn't wake up she booted up. She didn't need to eat, the organic sections of her body could be fueled by a solution of sugar and protein. Though she felt fortunate that her father and mother had given her the ability to taste and digest full food regardless.

But even this was a rather strange occurrence for the living machine girl. A figure had entered her room, but her eyes picked up nothing. Only her aural and Spiritron sensors picked up the presence. Her CryFibril muscles coiled under her faux organic outer layers, her aura flared to protect her body, her Energy Dust core switched on to maximum capacity.

The figure lifted it's hand and reality _glitched._

The ginger blinked, finding that she was no longer in her previous location. Now she was elsewhere. Her robotic eyes focused in on the room surrounding her. More of a chamber to her eyes. It resembled a vast workshop, spanning for dozens of meters in every direction. Strange forms of metal and plastic worked on each table. The sounds of banging metal and welding echoed across the vast space.

"Please…sit." Penny turned around laying down onto a metal chair. In front of her sat a strange life form. It was a smooth iron being, it's head shaped like that of a spartan helmet. It's lower body was smooth sloping into a two legged stance. Clicks and electronic sounds burst out from its body and Penny tilted her head in curiosity.

"What are you?" Penny had no choice but to ask. Her joint research with her father compelled her to know more about the beings they were studying.

She measured the creature, estimating a height of 267 centimeter exactly. The being laughed for a moment, however her blank and curious expression seemed to tame it.

"I am a Technological Forge Spirit. Born of Atlas." The so named spirit bowed and in respect Penny did the same.

"I am Penny, an android with a soul created by Atlas and Vale." The being looked fascinated despite the lack of a face, their flashlight head lighting up further. Penny felt that it was only fair to share knowledge between themselves. Though she had a number of questions

"You want to know why I have brought you here?" The gynoid nodded after a moment of hesitation and the Spirit leaned back. "Well… _you_ have attracted my attention. I'm not one to be interfere in the affairs of the material plane. No need when we are so interconnected."

"How so?" She had some theories on what the being meant, technology was an important part of humanity. They were natural tool users, their very bodies built with the use of them in mind. A being of such nature would clearly benefit from a species like them.

"You've worked it out already Penny. Humanities advancement is _my_ advancement. Their happiness is my happiness. When they rise I rise with them, and I fall _with_ them as well."

He wanted something, something that _she_ had that he lacked. The Spirit didn't have that sensation of maliciousness that she had picked up from some humans and faunus. But he _wasn't_ human, he was something else entirely.

"Correct again…" The robot like entity stood up, closely examining Penny with an inquisitive eye. "Things are changing, the Silver Eyes has gotten the attention of beings infinitely her greater. _We_ are waking up after a very long time little one. Most of us are aren't dangerous unless found in great numbers but those like _me._ Well they won't all have humanities best interests in mind."

She followed so far, the Spirits were potentially dangerous and could prove a danger to humanity. Being a spirit created or empowered by technology this is a negative to him. But what did Penny have to offer to a being with so much power.

' _Unless…'_

"You need me as a vessel?" the Spirit paused at her question, almost surprised.

"More of an Apostle really…I can offer you a mutual Pact as the first humanity once did with our kind when the Gods still inhabited Remnant along with the spirits." Penny filed away the revelation for later and thought about the Spirit's offering.

It sounded like a good deal to Penny. If these other Spirits were a threat to her creators she would have to protect them. But to repel or even destroy them, she would need to be able to hurt them. The power of another spirit should be enough. But how likely was it that she could trust a spirit. There was a not unlikely chance that the Spirit would betray her.

"Perhaps you are misunderstanding me." Penny tensed at his tone and prepared to fight as he pulled out an object from behind him. But instead of what she thought the metal iron giant pulled out a great deal of paperwork. "I am in no rush, I would prefer you read through the fine print first before agreeing to anything."

The ginger machine girl emulated a sigh of relief and her eyes scanned the paper reading every tiny word. Her eyes flickered with interest as she metaphorically digested the text.

"I don't need to accept immediately yes?" A nod. "I can inform my father?" Another nod. "Your name?" This nod was more hesitant but the spirit agreed.

"Mendicant Bias…"

"It is nice to meet you."

* * *

Penny awoke with a start, her memory banks bombarding her with the events of the previous night. She had much to speak about with her father.

"PENNY! IT'S TIME FOR YOUR TRANSFER TO VALE!" Her father's voice boomed and a wide practiced smile formed on her face. At long last she could become what she wanted to be…She would show to the world that she wasn't just a machine, even if a part of her thought she wasn't a real girl. She would be…

A Huntress.

* * *

"Damn it!" A wild haired man screamed to the heavens as a shot rang out, putting down a green oozing Grimm. The monster imploded and finally melted and smoked away to nothing. "Another failure!"

Doctor Merlot was caught in a dead end. All his experiments with the mutagenic substance had failed. His Grimm were either too unstable to function or too violent to be controlled. Years of research amounted to nothing. Yet he persevered regardless of his pains.

A flash of an old mountain came to the forefront of his mind and he flinched.

' _My biggest failure…'_

" _It…doess…nottt have to be."_ The scientist summoned his armed drone and looked around startled.

"Who is there?! Show yourself foe!" The wild haired scientist scanned the area but found nothing except himself, his Grimm, and the green liquid he had created after finding an ancient text from long ago. A bubbling sound alerted him and he turned to the pool of mutagenic substance. The liquid was forming the shape of a man and he froze in place. After a few seconds the figure was complete and it gave him a melted smile.

"Wha—."

" _Child,_ " the _thing_ cut him off and the man shivered at the _wrongness_ in its tone. " _I see you have been trying to unleash the Grimm's fullest potential. I admire that. But you are going about it all wrong._ "

"How so?" Despite his better judgement, the scientist asked the creature.

" _These beings of darkness need more than just a mutagen and a control collar to make them yours. They need more…esoteric methods of control. Control I can provide you…if you are interested._ "

"Truly…" Desperation and isolation quickly convinced the doctor of what he needed to do next. "Can you really give me what I want?"

" _Of course…so do we have a deal?_ " Merlot grinned madly and he opened the door to the pool. He offered a hand and the chuckling spirit took it gleefully. A sizzling sound followed and the Doctor paled.

"What is this?!" He felt agony course up from his hand to his shoulder and he tried to let go. But the being wouldn't let him go and was…laughing?

" _Fool! Fool! Fool! Fo_ **olll!** " It cackled as the doctors skin slowly melted off.

"Please gods stop this!" The man's hair fell out in large clumps and green liquid gushed out from his pores. His skin sloughed off with a wet splash on the lab floor and he coughed, his body shaking and trembling as he suffered.

" **Oh? But this is what you wanted right? The power to control Grimm?** " The man could not answer, his jaw long since turned into the same serum he had created. His remaining eye widened as the spirit dragged him closer, sporting a grin showing off rows of sharp teeth. " **But you never said you needed your body.** "

"Please…shtaap. H-Help me. Eid ot tnaw t'nod I." His babbling became useless as he was reduced to a pile of mush. For a brief moment the area was silent.

An hour passed and the silence was suddenly broken by the chuffing of a Boarbatusk. It sniffed the pile for a moment and as it tried to move away from the substance.

" **OINK!** " The pig squealed as the slime came to life, wrapping its tendrils around the struggling pig Grimm. It's fight was useless and the slime seeped it's way into its body and it shuddered, its body crumpling and contorting.

It grew larger, stronger, faster…

It's spikes grew out, and it's armor thickened. It's red eyes turned green, and ooze began to drop out from its fur.

For miles around the only sound anyone could hear was the echoing boom of mad laughter…

* * *

I stood up abruptly right in the middle of the night. My room was dark, and I rubbed my eyes to take out the crust that had built up overnight. My strange dreams were fading from my memory and I decided to write it down before I forget, grabbing a sheet of paper and a pen.

Strange machine…orange haired girl?

Snake…Schnee…deal?

Merlot…Island…Grimm… _demon's._

"Mom? You there?" My questions stopped a I noticed a flashing and floating screen.

Must be lucid dreaming then…should I look at the TV and see what my subconscious conjures up? Maybe I'll learn something new?

The television flashed on and I tilted my head as a song started to play.

" _Stay close. Move fast. The Darkness can not last._ "

Music? That…I've heard this voice before…

" _No hope. No past. But we've got a dream to catch!_ "

It can't be…right?


	13. Year One Arc: Chapter 9

**Author's Note:**

Sorry if this chapter was rather late, I was in the middle of moving, and lacked access to a computer to upload. So I've finished up this chapter, and will be releasing the next one sometime toward the end of the week. This chapter will be a little different from the previous ones, mainly switching the point of view of the story,]. It should be obvious in the chapter. Hopefully you'll find it acceptable. This chapter is also longer than what the average should be. Since this is transitioning to Beacon, the chapters will be a little more episodic and skip around less than before.

Again thanks for the reviews and follows, please read and enjoy...

* * *

 **Chapter Nine: Sauerkraut**

Damn it Qrow! Why the hell did he think this was a good idea?

Little bastard dragged me along to this…what's it called? Dusk till Dawn? Said they had some good quality Dust we could…borrow. But by the time we arrived, someone was already working on it. Qrow had decided that maybe we could get a reward for finding them and after a brief sibling meeting, he called the police.

It was supposed to be simple, easy peasy but _noooo._ My dunderhead of a brother has to leave his new Scroll without vibrate alerting these dumb mooks.

Move left.

Attack.

Not dead…good don't want to have any trouble. Our mission might have some issues if we get a criminal record within the city. I exchanged blows with one of the tougher mooks, a tall pale man standing a head taller than me. He growled as I gave him a cocky smirk. He roared and went on the attack…

Easily manipulated fool…

I disarmed him easily and then struck him with the dull end of my sword bringing his aura to zero and knocking him out. Grabbing him by the collar of his shirt before he could crack his skull open on the hard floor. I heard sirens and a one hand slashed with blade knocked out the last mook.

"Hope we don't get in trouble sis. I really don't want to deal with a bunch of dumb cops." My sibling butted in, as he formed a pile out of the various criminals. I nodded and cocked my head hearing the familiar click of heavy boots of a Huntsmen I had met once before.

"Hmm…I see you're still a bit of a trouble maker Miss Branwen." Raven grimaced as the 6'2 uniformed Huntsmen spoke up with a smirk on his face. He was a former military man of darker skin tone and the current combat teacher of Beacon Academy. He wore blue and whites that denoted his Atlas origins, thought there small little burst of creativity in the design that told her he was taking Vale's more…liberal culture to heart.

Two guns were hung onto his belt, looking for all the world like a conventional military firearm if you didn't look closely enough.

But _I_ knew better, his rifle had a very useful blade mode that could cut through most anything. His other weapon was more _alien_ in design and a part of me wished I had been able to pilfer the weapon when I still had the chance.

Probably for the best. A good chance any success would lead to my death by boot to the face. This man was a frighteningly strong and experienced Huntsmen, the moment I tried to fight him he dropped my aura from 100% to zero in only dozen strikes.

"Hello Avery." The man chuckled and I bristled at how easily he waved me off as a non-threat. It hurt to say but it wasn't like he wasn't right. His aura reserves were over four times greater than my own and his speed and power was ludicrously above my own.

"You should really have more respect for your elders kid." I mulled it over and shrugged cooly. That facade ended quickly as I scrambled to keep my defeated opponent from falling.

"Nice going Rae."

"Shut up Qrow…" I bit out a growl and placed the still knocked out man on the floor with the rest of his friends.

I turned from my idiot brother to the teacher, my feet impatiently tapping the floor. "Now after some research I know there's a reward of about 15000 Lien for these men. Collectible by _anyone._ "

"Well everyone has to eat I guess." The man mumbled and he waved a confused policies liaison. I held a grin back as the stack of plastic was passed into my hands and stored it in my handbag. I sheathed my blade as the danger fully passed, the police actually doing their jobs for once.

"This will do nicely…" That should hold us up for a week or two until we enter Beacon.

Avery eyes my blade with interest. "I see you've built that Dust blade you told me about. That aural steel must have come in handy. Now you only need a single more durable blade for your weapon."

"Of course…and this blade is nearly indestructible, only needing a periodic sharpening every few years or so." My eyes widened at the slip of information and I shut my mouth again.

"You're that Huntsmen from a while back right? I still have to thank you for bringing Raven back to me. It's pretty weird for an elite like you to help out some orphans."

"No problem, your sister must be a real handful huh?" I growled as the two men conversed over me.

"Yep."

"I will slit both of your throats if you two don't shut up!" They ignored me and I felt frustration build up.

"Names Qrow Branwen."

"Avery John—err Jonquil." My eyebrows furrowed at his mistake but thought nothing of it. It's none of my business and I could care less. Now as for my brother…

"Little brother?"

"Yeah?"

 _POWW._

"Fucking OWW! What was that for!"

"For being a moron Qrow. For being a moron…"

* * *

(My POV)

I nervously fidgeted as the bullhead shook. I was surrounded on all sides by a multitude of the various students attending Initiation. My nerves were at an all time high for once. Thankfully that nervous energy was tempered by Taiyang to my left and Umber to my right. My two oldest friends outside of my sister.

After six long years…I was finally here. I _would_ become a Huntress. So I would be strong to survive in a deathworld where only the best can survive. In whatever respect that may mean.

Not like I have to _stay_ a Huntress forever, just slaughter Grimm(and people) for a decade then I can retire in relative peace. I _would_ probably keep training so I don't get weak though. Maybe I can find a more science(alchemy) related career? I do have a few degrees…

Might be thinking too far ahead on that however.

"Yikes your clingy." I sulked at the bemusement Umber was clearly feeling and did my best to stop a pout from forming on my face. I still have _some_ pride damn it. Not manly pride mind you, _just_ no pouts. Even if I can get free food with it. "~But Tai doesn't seem to mind~" Umber practically sung and I swatted her forearm in retaliation.

Stupid…shipping rabbit. You don't see me teasing you about Cassin…who's sitting to _your_ right by the way. And to his right, there's Jayleen that sexy blonde goddess.

…

…

Don't judge me, all my friends are insanely attractive it's not my fault! It does not help that all my female friends like to tease me about it. So does Taiyang and Cassin doesn't cus the big lugs too shy for it.

Jayleen's a damn minx…

Ahem.

Anywho, the bullhead was a little crowded with potential students and I leaned back from my slouch as I felt someone try to bore a hole in the back of my head. A short swivel of my head was enough to find whoever it was in my vicinity.

My surprised silver eyes met with brilliant scarlet eyes. Beautiful eyes to complement a long and luxurious set of dark as night hair.

R-Raven?

 _Ohhh_.

She looks…

She gave me an angry glare and I broke eye contact, nonchalantly whistling in feigned ignorance.

"Better luck next time am I right Summer?"

Shut up Tai. Or I'll use you in a scheme to get her jealous that will horribly backfire because sitcom people are mentally regressed mouth breathers. My mouth curled as another more recent event played back in my mind.

Somehow _something_ was giving me the memory of the sixth volume. Another boon most likely, another little thing to help me on my quest to save the world. Not that I would be so presumptuous to think I was this world's protagonist…

 _Yeah like that matters._

So it turns out you can't _kill_ Salem at all, and the gods are bunch of pricks who deserve to get reamed up the ass by a herd of Goliath's. Shitty asshole gods too with no regard for the life of their creations. In fact outside of her _many_ flaws maybe Salem had the right idea about killing them if they're that much of a danger to humanity.

I also now have questions on just _what_ Alchemy is? It's definitely not some fancy application of Dust or aura. One it's a little too powerful and a little too difficult to learn for that to make sense. I don't think it has any real limits, outside of the obvious in that it needs years of specialized training to learn for anything beyond the basics. Elemental and Biology alchemy are basically the limits of what I've learned with some dabbling in the other branches.

Maybe…maybe Alchemy is magic? It does draw on an external source of power, it's just harder to use than the magic of the first humanity. But clearly it's not drawing from the Gods. I think they would notice if it was…hmm the more esoteric Alchemy books did have information on most of the energy being drawn from a Spirit realm.

The way alchemical transmutation works is starting up the circle with an incredibly small pulse of aura. So small even a man with locked aura could activate it. Then the circle is enveloped in that spirit energy and used to create the instructed effect.

"Summer? You good?" I nodded, a smile pulling at my lips at the genuine worry in Taiyang's eyes. Before I could answer, my spine tingled as whatever was playing on the holo switched off to…

Avery Johnson?!

The man loudly cleared his throat alerting the now attentive students to his presence. Tai cocked his head looking for all the world like a blonde puppy.

"Who's that?

" _Avery Jonquil._ "

"Oh…"

Classic Tai.

* * *

So this is Beacon then? The school training the next generation of monster hunters? Man it's even cooler and badass in person. Beacon tower has to be three or four hundred meters tall, and is on top of a kilometer tall cliff on top of that. Everything here is so fancy too, and its built tough as all of _hell._ But then it had to be if it's meant to contain an entire school worth of superhuman young adults.

"A lot of interesting weapons huh?" I muttered quietly, gripping my billowing cloak. A pretty good range of weapons.

That bull faunus guy has some type of chainsword with Fire Dust infused carbon steel. So a _flaming_ chainsword. That girl over there has dual scimitar blades that combine into a bow. That pretty spider monkey faunus has a a shotgun staff.

 _OOF!_

I blinked repeatedly as I smacked into something soft and warm. I looked up into the same scarlet eyes from before, a smattering of amusement dancing in those eye-catching orbs. I backed up an inch or two and cursed as my face heated up against my will.

Raven was…well a _stunning_ young women. She was tall, basically Amazonian in nature, almost a half foot taller than I was. Her hair was messy in some manner, but it still looked aesthetically pleasing. Raven was wearing the same clothes as the team picture in canon, with some minor differences in design here and there.

I…no picture could really show just how utterly _beautiful_ she was. She was…frankly among the most attractive person I had ever personally met. Her shallow cut red and black dress fit her _very_ well. Her leggings tastefully clung to her legs and my attention narrowed in on her weapon which looked little different from canon, but a _pulse_ told me it was aural steel. So she could generate her elemental effects _without_ the excessive waste of Dust.

It didn't take long my eye to wander, from her shapely hips to her very sizable well…you know. I darted my eyes upward, and—dang it this isn't any better.

Her skin was a smooth pale white, though I noticed the hints of some tanning, likely from her time as a bandit. Her eyebrows were furrowed together and I leaned back at her glare. Her eyes showed how fierce and guarded she was.

I licked my lips nervously, tightly gripping my hand into my cloak. "Uh hi? You're obviously here for the Initiation right?" I flushed as the girl scoffed and I ignored the beating drum of my heart.

"What do you think?" Her tone was almost caustic and I felt a tinge or irritation flow in. I might think she's pretty but I ain't getting pushed around by some hick bandit.

"I think you have no reason to be so rude." She opened her mouth and I gleefully cut her off. "And for bumping into you, you have my most _sincerest_ apology your majesty." I replied with a slightly sarcastic tone and I noted how the girls eyes widened in surprise. Made sense, from a distance I looked like a goody two shoes, some completely naive happy go lucky kind of person.

Though in actuality I was an antisocial abrasive personality type who feigned being happy to make others feel better. Not that I wouldn't help people, I'm still firmly on the side of "good". I'm a firm example of good is not nice.

"Fine…" She didn't say much after that and I beat my palms against my stomach in a beat. The silence was dragging on, and Raven rolled my eye at my activity. Wait have I even…

"I'm Summer Flamel Rose," I gave her a polite smile offering her my hand. She looked at it in disdain and my grin grew bigger. Her look was less annoyed than before, almost intrigued, "It's customary to shake one's hand when meeting new people." For a moment I swore I saw a small smile adorn her face. If my eyes weren't tricking me, she looked nice with a smile.

She shook my hand with a strong and firm grip. "Raven." A single letter word, nice and simple for a first meeting. Before I could use my Summer charm someone else moved in.

"Sup Rae! You making friends now? Didn't think you'd manage it." Raven scowled and she turned away from me to face the familiar voice. It was higher pitched and younger but it certainly was the voice of Vic Mignogna. Raven briefly met eyes with me before turning to the _other_ Branwen in the courtyard.

He was around the same height as his sister, though she may have had an inch or so on him. Which I attributed to her footwear, those added an extra two inches to her already monstrous height.

Even if it's kind of hot…

Now back to her brother. Qrow really was the epitome of tall, dark, and handsome I had to admit. Again same outfit as usual just on the body of a younger man. I eyed up both him and his sword. They were both impressive in their own way I mean…

I wondered how they acquired the money to build their weapons? They could have stolen it I'm sure but that would still need a _lot_ of income. Wait, they got sent to a Combat School right? Maybe the school helped them get the needed funds.

"Hey," his voice was strong and rather…mhm nice I should say. "Summer right?" I nodded meekly, a spark of an idea lighting up within my brain. He brushed his hair back with a flirty smirk. "Names Qrow Branwen. I couldn't help but see you talking to my sister right here." He wrapped an arm around his exasperated twin and I kept my facade of calmness up. He leaned in almost conspiratorially. "Now, you looked a little lonely before and I thought 'Why not talk to this cute girl here?' But it seems like Raven beat me to the punch."

"How unfortunate…" his suave personality almost cracked at the teasing tone but he kept it going, the charmer. "But your sister seems to be a good replacement for your company." Qrow frowned and I suppressed the giggle making its way up.

"How can my sister be a replacement for all this?" Qrow gestured to his body and I had the urge to snark.

"Well first of all your sister has a _rocking_ bod," I relished in the tribe girls blush and I thought to myself. Where did I get the balls…is that the right word? I'm a girl and don't have—questions for later. Maybe Jayleen's been a bad influence on me? She flirts like nobody's business and does it well. I don't think I have the same capabilities…but then again where was I? "Second I find her to be rather good company despite her abrasive exterior. So…sorry." Qrow pouted for a moment and he slumped in sadness.

"Well damn…" I gave him an apologetic shrug and patted him gently on his back.

"Aww…I'm sure you'll meet some cute girl _someday._ " He gave me a glare and I giggled just a bit at his misfortune.

 _Misfortune…_

"Now where is the auditorium?"

Both siblings gave me a blank stare…

So that's going to be a small issue…

* * *

Eventually we found our way after I looked up a map on my Scroll. Both siblings had their own though it was clear the very little experience with using them. It was pretty hilarious to see the strong, tough _stoic_ Raven Branwen growl as she wa defeated by a holographic tablet.

Anyway after that we were all sent to the auditorium n what was essentially a massive sleepover. The three dozen plus group of teenagers were moving and chattering to one another while they still had the chance. I doubt there would be as much talking during the Initiation between fighting Grimm and looking for the artifacts.

I was wearing a set of black footie pajamas which while they admittedly looked completely ridiculous. They were very warm and good at staving off the absurdly cold room. Seriously it was like 50 degrees Fahrenheit in here…who wants to deal with that?! As an additional layer of protection I wrapped myself like a burrito using my sleeping bag and just lazing about.

"You look ridiculous." Oh and Raven was staying near me despite what I expected. Apparently she found me to be the least "irritating" person here out a cavalcade of idiots and morons. Which was a compliment I suppose…

"I don't like the cold Raven. I can deal with heat but cold…it's _evil._ " I almost hissed in reply shivering as a breeze passed us by. She gave me a blank look and I rolled my eyes.

"I can see you, you know?" I shrugged and inched over as I noticed she was reading… _something._ I decided to ask her a friendly question as a fellow antisocial teenager.

"Watcha reading?" She tilted her body in my direction giving me a good look of _two_ things.

One…the book she was reading, the title being…a Series of Fairy Tales?

Two…well her shirt drops pretty low…

…

…

Hey, no one can judge me for looking! If there's one thing Yang inherited from her mother it was her _everything._ It doesn't help that I've never had…how should I say this the most _innocent_ mindset. I've always been prone to u-uh fantasies…and she kind of checks some of those boxes.

"Why are you smiling?" I wiped the grin off my face and pointed to the book.

"Just remembering something funny." That sounds really cliche.

"Alright." She gave me a suspicious glance but was still willing to indulge my curiosity. "This is a book I _acquired_ that is full of apparent…fairytales. Personally growing up we never had much need…of books. But this one feels _special_ in some way"

Makes sense, you don't need books when you're a bandit.

"Sounds interesting…anything interesting in there? I've read my fair share of fairy tales and based on how old that book looks there might be a real gem hidden in there." She hummed quietly as she paged through the book, stopping at one chapter.

"There is one that might interest you…" I inched a fair bit more until I was sitting just outside her bubble of personal space.

"Tell me about it then." Her lips twitched for a moment before focusing her attention on the text.

"It's an old legend…called the City of Shamballa." I leaned in, a shock of energy surging through my veins. This sounded like it would be quiet the tale.

"Go on." She cleared her throat and out of the corner of my eye I could my friends "secretly" spying on us from afar. Both the girls were listening in, and gave me encouraging smiles. Taiyang's eyes were glued to Raven and I tilted my head as my suspicions raised. But I was busy…

"Once upon a time there were four weary travelers. They were known for their heroic deeds across the land. But above all of their deeds they were most known for their thirst for knowledge." Her expression was blank but I could see the twinkle in her eyes as she spoke. "They searched far and wide for the secret to an ancient art of magic." I scrunched my eyebrows, getting invested in the story. "It was a power that would allow man to change lead into gold, to create fire, ice, and lightning without a semblance."

That's…impossible. My friends hid their astonished expressions well, and Raven didn't seem to notice.

"What were the travellers named?" Raven raised a delicate eyebrow but answered regardless.

"Hermes Trismegistus. Ostanes…"

I know I've heard those names before…in a tattered and heavily damaged journal. My "father" considered Ostanes an old friend, a powerful ally, and then an enemy.

"Nicholas and Perenelle Flamel…"

Keep…calm don't panic…

"They were all different in some way…Hermes was fast and swift, a scholar and lover of the arts. Ostanes was much the same if more robust mentally and physically. The Flamels were themselves gifted in intellect, learning to create a form of explosive powder that _wasn't_ Dust. But no one cared, the people that knew them calling it a useless hobby. Unlike the other two, their physical appearance was described if only in faint detail. Nicholas was a tall and devilishly handsome man with dark brownish-red hair and a stoic face. Perenelle was a beautiful and petite women, with long black hair stretching down to her mid back. But they one shared trait…" I leaned in. "Shining silver eyes."

…

…

"Together they searched throughout the land, travelling from city to city and from kingdom to kingdom. No matter how far they searched they found nothing, the knowledge they seeked was beyond their reach. So they sailed to an unknown land, the treacherous and empty wasteland of Dracos, the land of dragons." She paused for a breath and she had my full attention.

"Right…"

"There they found a safe oasis, a land protected by snowy mountains and hard to traverse terrain. In the center they found a petal shaped city but it was empty, all except for a single being meditating in its heart. They had found what they had longed for ages. They asked the being if it knew what they wanted, and it said that it did."

"So cool…" Raven glared at Tai's interruption and he gave her an awkward smile, She seemed to flinch back and grumbled. Looking away from the young man.

Well…Taiyang's always had a very pitiable face.

" _Anyway,_ that being told them it was a spirit of knowledge and that it was happy to teach them the secrets of old magic. He told them they could not tap into the true source, but that through special codes they could restore a _remnant_ of what once was. For a decade they learned the ancient spirits magic and were told to bring others to learn the sacred knowledge. And people did come in trickles, and over time more and more people came as the information spread until in place of a quiet monastery, a Kingdom with the four travellers at the top was born. The Kingdom of Shamballa, the city of miracles."

"That's…um _wow._ " She flipped to the next page and wordlessly continued onward. I was hopeful that she seemed so friendly to me, I thought she would be more abrasive than she was. I would listen eagerly to her soothing voice.

"Eventually as the four humans slowed down with age the Spirit gave them a parting gift. The secret to an extended lifespan. One that came at a potentially terrible cost if abused. A spell, a code to drain the aura of another being to add to their already longer lifespan as aura users. It gave them eternal youth as long as they could feed on some amount of living energy. For four hundred years they ruled in peace, until a terrible event from outside forces came."

"Like what?" Taiyang had grown more confident despite Raven's behavior.

"The Great War." I felt a spine numbing cold, my finger curling tightly within my sleeping bag. She cleared her throat a second time, not appreciating a second interruption. "The Kingdom of Mantle had grown to fear the small city, they had no need of Dust and knew the firepower of Shamballa rivaled their own. Though they did not know of their magic. So they hatched a terrible and horrific plan. They would invoke a Grimm incursion. They infiltrated the city, creating disasters, distrust and negativity wherever they could until a horde of tens of thousands barreled toward the once great nation. No matter their power, their numbers could not match the creature of Grimm. Their lack of Dust would prove to be their downfall. Those who could master the complex magic were few in number so they could not turn the tide alone."

"That's…" there were no words for Mantle's atrocities.

"In a single day and night the Kingdom of Shamballa fell, only its ageless rulers left alive. The husband and wife remained together while flanked by Ostanes, the trio settling within the kingdom of Vale. Hermes left to die in the wilds, all he loved and cared about was gone. And that ends the tale of the city of Magus." She closed the book and I felt the finality with the slam.

"You…probably want to go to bed right? Talking like that must be drain for you?" She nodded and my jaw dropped as she became unresponsive, falling asleep in a matter of minutes.

…

…

I've learned three things today.

One, my parents were vampire philosopher-kings.

Two, _woooww_ Mantle were total assholes.

Three, spirits may be an actual thing that exists…should have realized all of that when learning about alchemy and all the talk about other planes.

Also…I _love_ the sound of Raven's voice and and I could listen to…

…her…all…day…I…

 _Zzzzzz._

 _Zzzzzz._

 _Zzzzzz._

* * *

(Qrow's POV)

This Summer…she's a feisty one isn't she? I didn't expect to find someone was prickly as _Raven_ within the first five minutes of getting off that metal death trap. What surprises me more is the fact she has actual friends. Two _extraordinarily_ hot girls and two guys like myself.

The blonde chick is flirty and it's pretty fun to mess around with her. The other girl a meek rabbit faunus is cute too though she doesn't seem to appreciate my flirts. I didn't know someone could kick that hard…my shin still aches even with my aura.

Taiyang seems pretty cool and I think I could be buds with him…would have made growing up in the camp a lot less boring. Cassin's kind of quiet for being almost seven feet tall. Seriously that guys like a fucking brick wall…but yeah I can see us being pals too. Barely…

 _BUMP!_

What the hell!? Who bumped into me?!

I shook the stars out of my head, grimacing as what felt like pure metal smacked into the back of my skull.

"Oh my sincerest apologies potential friend. I was lost in processing…"

I looked up ready to give them a piece of my mind until I saw it was a cute girl. She had short ginger hair and big wide green eyes filled with curiosity. She was wearing a set of green pajamas with some weird symbols on them.

At her smile I felt something was… _off_ about her. There was a lack of _something_ in that smile though it did feel genuine.

"Right sure…no problem."

She cocked her head in question. "Are you certain? Because sometimes I do not know my own strength and people get…"

Does she have some type of strength enhancement semblance? Maybe that's why she's so worried about me.

"Nah I'm okay see?" I gestured to my head with a confident smile. "I'm a Beacon Initiate. Do you really think a little bump in the head could bring me down?"

"Oh, that is true…I am sorry for doubting you…" she trailed off her eyes kidding and blinking.

Oh.

Right.

"Qrow Branwen, and you are?" Normally I'd try to put on the "Branwen" charm but something tells me she isn't the sharpest tool in the shed when it comes to romance.

"Penny Polendina! I hope we become friends like Jayleen and I."

"Yeah, whatever sure…"

Man there's a bunch of weirdos going to this school.

* * *

(My POV)

Stupid, stupid, _stupid_ hormones! Why do you have to make everything so awkward?

The next day after that _revelation_ we walked over to the changing room and ended up caught between a rock and hard place.

To my right I could see Raven's _glorious_ body as she changed back into her Huntress wear. My _god_ she was practically a damn goddess…she curved in all the right places. She was chiseled too, years of exercise and work shaping her body. I don't know if I should consider myself lucky or not, since even if she seemed nicer than canon, she could still skewer me with her Dust blade.

Wait…I think she's bigger than _Jayleen!_ Upon…further inspection she _definitely_ is bigger. I…god I just want her to push me against the wall, I want her to hold me close. To _feel_ her on me…I want to hear her silky voice whisper in my ear, then I want Tai…to grab me and the two of them can just ha—

 _Oh._

 _That._

I haven't had thoughts like _that_ since before I died. I thought I had gotten over those…little imaginative fantasies of mine. But I guess they were just biding their time until I was college age again.

Hmm…

Does liking girls make me gay then? Or bi since I am attracted to at least _some_ guys…questions for later…

To my left Jayleen was changing…now to move on from ogling my friends…

"Should be putting on my clothes anyway…" I grabbed the inner catsuit of my armor, placing it on feet first. Once I had it on I turned to find that Raven was gone. I held back a pout.

"You seem pretty sad to see that brunette bombshell go huh?" She had the widest teasing smirk imaginable.

"Shut up…"

Stupid…blonde fairy…

A couple of minutes later and I was up and raring to go standing on the launch pad. I pulled back what hair I had, and clipped on the helmet. The highly reliable HUD popped up, and I grinned at the familiar video game like interface. Numerous small bars and percentage told me some of my vitals, and a small circle represented its motion sensors. I could shift the night and heat vision on and off on command, as well as count how much ammo I had.

Based on the number of compressed ammo blocks I had, I had hundreds of full mass and power shots to spare. But for now it would be best to go with rounds around the mass of a fifty cal for now. That should double the rounds, if at the expense of power. Even though my weapons can punch through tanks…

I was waiting on the pad, fiddling with Gungnir, staring down into the unforgiving forest below. Down there hundreds of Grimm were hungering to feast on our bones and fleshes. Their supernaturally gifted hatred of humanity fed into their magical blood.

"Destroy everything in your path-yada-yada-yada." Ignoring speech, already heard it before but I would heed its warning.

"3,2,1"

OH MOTHERF-

* * *

"Dammit Oz…why do you have to be such a trolling shit?" I growled as I came to a stop with a kinetic blank. I silenced it with a little air alchemy, not wanting to attract more Grimm than necessary.

"I need to look for a partner. Get the relics, and then get back to the cliff. But I need to keep an eye out or I'll be ambushed."

 _PING!_

Neither the suit or my semblance picked up any activity though…hmm 32 meters at 90 degrees I can pick up…a Beowolf. Should I attack it or not…it seems to be minding its own business but still.

Well…it seems my choice has been made.

" **Grrr.** " I sighed as the Grimm leaped and I stepped forward piercing through its spine with Gungnir. It faded away into noxious gas.

Too easy.

Three more pings just behind me.

 _BZZZZ!_

The three wolves wheezed as a hundred thousand volts of electricity fried their nerves and then their organs. I smirked at the sound of their deaths and kept moving.

More Grimm came, but I tear their poor groupings apart with ease. Because of the limitation of my reach in the dense forest, I limited myself to halberd mode, slashing and bashing Grimm with brute force. Being able to hit with the force of a literal truck definitely made killing simple Grimm a breeze.

My current kill count was 67 Beowolves, 15 Ursa, and smaller Nevermore around the size of a bear.

My instincts as well as my suit screamed at me and I swiveled on my feet blocking a downward bash from…a Ursa Major(a big one too)

It seems to be alone but the rustling from behind told me what it was planning. Five Ursa were hiding in the thick forest biding their time until they can strike me down while my guard is down.

I'll let them think that for now…

I stepped back as my arms felt the strain of holding back 3600 kilograms of raw bear mass. I lashed out, adding as much power as I reasonably could, cheering as I cut open it's left arm. It growled and I fired off a grenade cracking it's armor. I fired a dozen light armor piercing rounds. Ten of them made a spiderweb of cracks across its chest armor while the last two, to my satisfaction pierced through both of its eyes.

" **GRAHHHH!** " It roared out in pain and I struck, slashing and hammering into it with extreme prejudice.

I ducked under a wave of its massive arm, embedding the axehead into its pillar like leg.

"Maybe I should…put you on _ice._ " A combination of Ice Dust and a Freeze array did its job, and with a strong _kick_ I tore off the leg. The Major stumbled as it lost its balance, and I tightened my grip as three roars made the presence of the other Grimm known.

 _SHINK!_ The roars fell silent, a _thud_ marking the deaths of the un _bear_ able group…

Dammit Tai…and damn my own love for puns.

A shadow leaped over me, and the Grimm was pushed back as a slash of fire and then ice sliced, cauterized and then froze the Grimm neck. I fired with little fanfare, blowing a hole through its stomach.

I froze as a certain future bandit queen landed on top of the still decaying Ursa. Her glare was cold as her eyes met with the darkness of my visor. In an instant I depolarized the visor, making eye contact with the ravenette. Her lips twitched in a half smile and she relaxed her stance the slightest amount.

"So I guess we're partners then?"

There was an actual _smile_ on her face as she nodded. I couldn't hold back my own _beam_ at the fortuitous event.

"It seems so," her eyes turned to slits as she took in her surroundings. "We should get going." I oriented myself using the built in compass, Raven took that time to jump down from the Ursa Major, curiosity lighting up her crimson eyes.

"This things got a built in compass." I said, tapping the side of my helmet for emphasis.

"It's made of an aural alloy yes?" I nodded while we began our trek to the ruins. "My sword is made of a similar material if designed for a blade instead of armor."

"I have some friends in high places…" we entered a comfortable silence as we headed toward the ruins.

"So what is your plan?" I turned, surprised at the willingness of Raven to cooperate.

Get back on track Summer.

"Well first we head toward the temple to grab the relics, destroy or avoid any Grimm in our way. Then we take the relics and head back. We'll have to keep an eye out so we don't get caught off guard."

"Not much of a plan…" I raised an eyebrow. She must have been testing me.

"There's no need beyond those steps right now. We've been given very little information on what could be out here. Right now all I've got is to work within what we find comfortable. You seem to specialize in close range combat, making use of your odachi and its Dust spells to deadly effect." I tapped my armor as I spoke about how _I_ fight. "As for myself I'm a medium and long range combatant, preferring to keep as much distance as is humanly possible from my enemies. But I also aim for _maximum_ firepower as you've seen."

"A bit cowardly isn't it?"

I rolled my eyes. " _Why?_ There's no need to waste more energy than necessary to take down pests like the beast of Grimm. Minimum effort for minimum gain is what I say, unless we need to do both. Wasting energy on flashy and reckless moves isn't a necessity except for…PR or something."

A line appeared between her brows as she thought about it.

"Fair enough, but what about when an enemy gets up close?

"Then I'll fight with this baby here," pointing to my weapon. "Or with my hands or semblance. You don't become friends with someone like Taiyang and _not_ learn some hand to hand."

"That's…" Raven trailed off and out of the corner of my vision I focused in on the gigantic swarm of signatures.

" **RRRRRRRRR!** "

"Penny do something already!" Jayleen called out to someone.

 _BWOOM!_

"I am always combat ready friend!"

"You already said that!"

"I did?"

"Aghh!"

"TAI YOU BASTARD HOW DID YOU TALK ME INTO THIS?!"

"I DON'T KNOW!"

 _BOOM!_

Kinetic explosions…

"Blast it!" Umber…

"We should probably help right? I can hear some of my friends and your brother down there."

"It _is_ in our way." Raven murmured in agreement as we broke through the clearing. I had to take some time to process what I was seeing however.

What looked for all the word like a damn medieval Troll was currently rampaging across the clearing. It was a gigantic creature, maybe 15 meters tall. It was hideous, its face inhumanly deformed and its eyes brimming with fundamentally alien malice. A thick mask of bone protected its eyes as well as multiple sections of its body, chest, and back.

Jay was holding it back using one of her barriers, periodically throwing bubble bombs but behind the troll…

P-Penny?! But that's…

"TAI WHEN WE GET OUT OF HERE, THEY'LL _NEVER_ FIND YOUR BODY!" Qrow roared, looking ready to strange Taiyang even while dangling from the raging Troll. Umber and Cassin circled around the troll, firing at its heavy set legs. But their weapons did minimal damage to its thick and dense bone plating. I could see some cracks but…

"I'M SORRY!" The Grimm suddenly twitched and the boys were thrown in our general direction. I sighed and activated an Air array slowing down Tai…Raven didn't bother and her brother crashed into the tree behind her.

"FIRING!" A dozen swords _shimmered_ and a sudden boom announced a pulse of plasma and light crashing against its chest.

"Thanks Sums," I nodded as Tai spoke in my ear. "I _really_ didn't want to smack into that tree." I waved him off focusing on the task at hand.

"Tai?"

"Y-Yeah?"

"What the fuck man?!"

"Hehe uh…sorry?"

Dammit Tai.

* * *

(Jayleen POV; several minutes ago)

If you had told me that one of the most prestigious Huntsmen schools on Remnant threw their students off a cliff into a Grimm infested forest to find some dumb artifacts. I probably would have knocked your teeth out for thinking I was some blonde bimbo that would fall for that type of crap.

But jokes on me I guess…

Right now I was just heading to what I… _think_ is the direction of the temple. I had to bring down a few dozen Grimm but that was easy-peasy. A couple of dumb beowolves isn't going to bring me down.

And maybe…after this is over I can have _some_ fun. But who to go with? That delectable snack that is Qrow Branwen, or his sister? Or maybe Summer? Or all three?

Man it's cute how Summer doesn't think I'm serious when I flirt with her. Her ignorance is adorable…

 _Boosh!_

I blew up an Ursa's head with an explosive bubble and stiffened as _two_ loud hisses warned me.

A quick barrier blocked the fanged maw of a white King Taijitu aiming to swallow me whole. I smirked as I added some Block dust, the Grimm's teeth shattering on the reinforced wall.

 _BWOOM!_

"What the hell was—." From behind me, what looked like a laser burned the white half away from me.

 _BOOM!_

Whoever it was moved insanely quick yet I couldn't sense any use of aura whatsoeve—

The Grimm screamed as it was dragged away and my jaw dropped as it was lifted up into the air, the Black half shrieked as it broke the treeline. Before the snake Grimm was violently thrown back to the ground impaling itself on a sharp tree.

The dust cleared and a short figure walked toward me…

"What the f—."

"Salutations!" I made eye contact…

"Oh no…"

"It seems we are now partners friend."

Well, guess there's no flirting with this one.

* * *

"Is something wrong friend?" I groaned as the annoying if adorable girl trailed behind me keeping an eye out like I told her.

She was constantly asking me whether I was fine or if she had annoyed me in some manner. I would tell her yes, but I was was adverse to telling her that as I was adverse to kicking orphan puppies.

She was definitely holding some strong insecurities. I would have to knock that out of her…gently of course. Flirting is useless as an ice breaker because while she _is_ cute, my conscience is screaming at me not to. She was too naive and innocent for me to try anything. I lifted a closed fist and Penny stopped at my command.

I know that set of soft and cute bunny ears, and that short brown buzzcut anywhere.

"~Cassy and Umber I _see_ you~" the two dark brownish colored teens flinched and I waved giving them a wide smile. Both emerged carefully with Umber's ears twitching as she listened.

Her eyes widened as did Penny's…

"DUCK!"

Holy shit!

The entire forest line was broke apart by a series of attacks and we were left exposed. I set up another barrier, deflecting a tree away from us.

"A troll…" I turned to Umber and held back a gulp.

Father had told me about such creature of Grimm. Long extinct in most Kingdoms due to hunting parties set up by said Kingdoms, Trolls are among the toughest and most dangerous of ancient Grimm.

Huge…smart…and heavily armored. They can slaughter villages and even towns on their own if they live long enough.

This guy was big…but nowhere near as tough as one of _them._

A _blonde_ blur rushed through the clearing and thr Grimm roared as golden fist made its way between the plates of bone on its chest. Another sleeker figure shot heavy pellet, fracking some of the weak bone plates and splattering through grimm flesh.

"You damn morons!" I leaped in with Penny at my side.

One, two, three.

One, two, three.

Six blasts of Fire, Ice, and Lightning did their work throwing the troll back.

But…it did nothing…

" **RAHHHH!** " The whole group was nearly at the point of panic and I finally had enough.

"Umber, Cassin you focus on the legs! Try to look for a tendon to bring it down. Qrow and—."

"CAN'T HEAR YOU SORRY!" A vein popped out and I turned to Penny instead.

"Penny…please did you best to distract the troll so it can't crush any of us. I'll use my semblance to damage it, and deflect any blows if necessary."

"I am combat ready!" Penny _leaped_ crossing the forty meter distance in a single bound.

 _BWOOM!_

The beast roared and it stomped aiming to strike down Umber…

"NO!"

In one instance of _slide_ I met it face to face, my barrier holding steady against the fifty foot tall monstrosity.

" **RRRRRRRRR!** " The Grimm went berserk, bashing against my barrier with all of its considerable might.

"Penny do something already!"

"I am always combat ready friend!"

I felt a vein twitch. "You already said that!"

Rustling…shit…

Wait, is that…Summer and that cute Raven girl?

Thank…god out of all of us only Summer has the raw firepower needed to pierce through that things armor.

The Grimm twitched.

"Ahhh!"

Oh those poor boys…

* * *

(My POV)

"Fucking hell…we don't have damn time for this!" I shrieked loudly as the Grimm roared, and the air between the two of us exploded first with 1000 degree flames and then by adiabatic heated plasma.

Its chest plate was nearly cracked in two and I fired a second time. It rolled into a ball at the last second, and I only clipped its arm. The skin broiled and it landed with an outstretched fist almost crushing Cassin. A kinetic blast deflected the dark fist however.

"This space is too open…we have to go somewhere where it can't maneuver as well."

"That thing can just _make_ a path for itself, and running off into the forest would leave us vulnerable to other threats." Raven countered me and I nodded as I thought about it.

"Then we should go with a fighting retreat. Our primary goal is to retrieve the relics and nothing more. Trolls aren't particularly fast so we can easily outrun it."

"That…would…for the BEST!" Jayleen's barrier was breaking apart under the onslaught of raw Grimm strength. I decided to help out and focused…

My hands glowed as blue electricity burst out using the Universal Zero Contact array. I had rarely ever needed to use the full capabilities of this complex array but this would be a first.

Several arrays surrounded the growling Grimm and Jayleen paled.

"EVERYBODY STEP BACK!" I fed some aura to add a bit of power and—

 _BOOOM!_

The Grimm was engulfed in an explosion and I winced as my ears popped. The sonic shockwave rattling me. I held out a hand to Raven and she raised an eyebrow.

"What?"

"You wanna see what else Gungnir can do?" I waved my weapon with an open smile and she stared me down. After a moment of eye contact she nodded and I gave her a bigger toothier smile.

I grabbed her waist and she stiffened. I flipped Gungnir around.

"You guys ready?"

Bun-Bun and Jayleen were getting ready for a an aura fueled _leap_. Much like what Blake could do in her time. The boys were both going to run, since even as slightly above midtier runners we're still talking about 90 mph speeds. Qrow is…you know Qrow so…

" _Ready!_ "

Propulsive shot a go–wait what?!

As we flew up into the air I noticed an odd sight. Penny had summoned several larger than normal swords. They disconnected from their host offering themselves to the boys.

"A-Are they really going to—."

"Woohoo!" Qrow shouted as he flew above the treetops along with Cassin and Tai. Penny did the same avoiding the Astro boy type flying transformation.

"They are." I answered with both weariness and jealousy.

" **GRAHHH!** "

" **SRIEHHH!** "

Motherfucker.

The troll now on _fire_ followed us accompanied by a giant stork like Grimm a—

"Stymphalian. Native to Mistral, a very powerful Nevermore like Grimm." Raven answered me, her stance tense.

The stork beast was 80 meters from wingtip to wingtip and it emitted a constant wave of malice and hate. It flew above us before diving toward our direction.

I sighed.

"I guess we gotta _blast_ right?" Her nose wrinkled in the cutest fashion and I scowled just a bit. I summoned an array right into its face, blasting hundreds of grams of high explosives into the joints of one of its feathers.

 _BOOM!_ I lifted us higher up, and Raven pointed to the stork with something in mind.

"Are you serious?"

"I am."

I thought I'd get these kind of stunts from Qrow…not his sister.

I've never ridden a Grimm before. It'll be a new experience.

* * *

" **SHRAAA!** " The Grimm shrieked in pain as I embedded my spear deep into its equivalent of a spinal cord. Using the Grimm as flight tool we forced it to drop down into the temple grabbing one of the relics still remaining. A white knight, which was mildly disappointing…I'd thought there be something new.

Umber and Jayleen retrieved the black knight pieces, while Tai had gotten the white knight piece.

So…I knew how things were going to be set. Wait…is that gas why…oh god we need to leave. Raven sighed and grabbed my hand.

"Let's go!" A red and black twisting vortex opened up giving me an idea. We dived through dropping next to Qrow as we ran past a certain set of ruins.

A hundred meters up the flying Grimm was still following us and was now dropping bombs of noxious gas and smoke.

"That's your semblance right?"

"Yes." She looked hesitant to elaborate though it didn't shut down my inner working for a plan.

"How big of a portal can you make?" She mulled it over for a few moments before answering me.

"18 meters…24 if I push it. Why?"

"Because I have a plan."

* * *

"You know this is crazy right?" Jayleen told me as she weaved between the injured Troll's blows. "But then again we _are_ training to be Huntsmen so a little crazy might be good in this line of work."

I smirked smugly. "Yeah…I know I'm a genius."

"More of a megalomaniac…" Raven quipped from the sidelines and I frowned.

"You've set up your plan right?" Jayleen nodded being the one to take charge.

Here was the gist of it. Raven, Taiyang and I would be the primary distraction for the Stymphalian while Qrow would hang back with Jayleen. They would keep the heat off of us so the Troll couldn't interrupt. We would get that damn sharp beaked stork to dive bomb us, and Raven could open up a portal to her brother right as hits.

If this goes right…we'll have our little Grimm problem neatly sorted. If we don't then I guess we go out in a brilliant blaze of glory.

"Ready?" I asked my partner as she unsheathed her weapon. She nodded quietly as did Taiyang. His role would be for his sonic roar semblance. I could use my alchemy to boost his semblance into a directed sonic cannon. It _should_ annoy her shit out of our little Grimm bird and drive it mad. A few potshots from me as well as some arrays to burn up its bombs should take away any other option other than attacking directly.

"I believe so." Her sword switched from fire, ice, and finally to lightning. The revolving mechanism, each with a solid crystal of the respective Dust type.

She swung her sword beginning the attack.

Two arrays burst to life, one forming a sonic cannon and the other a selective firestorm. My flame attack detonated every deadly gas bomb while Taiyang's scream rattled the Grimm. An arc of Dust lightning detonated more attacks and melted and incinerated pieces of the old Grimm's form.

It kept trying to use its long range attacks but we thwarted it at every turn. It couldn't get through our triple team attack.

" **SHREEEE!** "

It _dived_ hitting transonic speeds as it came at us with everything it had. It's sharp beak splintering every so slightly.

"NOW!" Raven breathed deeply before she tore a hole in spacetime wider than the Grimm's body.

Two beastly roars echoed…

* * *

(Jayleen's POV; minutes prior)

"Umber aim for the legs!" A burst of elemental bullets struck the Troll and it stumbled in pain. Several puppets climbed over the giant distracting it while I threw my own attacks against it, shaping my barrier into a sharp point and trying to pin it.

 _BOOM!_

I sighed as that Qrow bastard fired his shotgun ignoring my command to keep back. We were supposed to hold it into place not bring it down, much less when we don't have the firepower for it.

"I have to get in close in for my sister."

Oh. Fine. His sw—is it shifting again?

Qrow leaped hooking on its arm with a bigass scythe and crashing the Troll against the cliff face.

"Umber and Cassin go! Penny pin it with your weapons!"

Like giant arrows the swords flew through the air, piercing between its armor and through its thick tough hide. Qrow jumped off using the recoil from his shotgun blast. Cassin roared imbedding the Grimm completely into the wall with a series of kinetic shockwaves. The swords pinned it completely and it screamed in agony.

 _Oh my god it's working!_

It's foot and ankles were frozen solid by Umber and Qrow leaped in front of her.

 **BWOOOM!**

A flash of red light and swirling air opened up in front of us, and both Grimm roared and shrieked respectively as they crashed into each other.

I shuddered at the sound of flesh being pierced and waited patiently for the dust to clear.

The Troll was still standing with the decapitated head of the Stymphalian nesting in a newly made cavity. Just as we moved to attack it imploded not able to handle the strain.

Even Qrow was left speechless.

"Well," oh god Taiyang please don't. The three of them emerged from the portal with Tai having a shit-eating smile on his face. "Well…I guess neither of them were _birds_ of a feather ehh?"

Oh god someone kill him. He turned to face me with a hurt expression and I realized I said that out loud.

 _And_ Raven is teaching for her sword fantastic. Summer stopped her grabbing her wrist and shaking her head. There was a mischievous smile on her face…

Oh god _her_ love of puns…

" _Besides_ his pun is a little weak. I should be the one to hold the _bird_ en of the pun master." A look of complete and utter disappointment shined on the girl's face. Summer grinned, cocking her head only adding to the cuteness factor. Raven looked away, coughing awkwardly into her fist.

" _Right._ " It didn't stop her skepticism and sarcasm from leaving her voice box. And I didn't blame her.

"Should we be going? We have all we need…" Penny spoke up her eyes scanning the vicinity.

"Yeah let's bounce before those two dorks can make any more bad puns."

"I thought they were good. If poorly timed."

I patted Penny on the head. "No." She frowned at my clear stance.

How can someone my age be so adorable?

* * *

(My POV)

"Jayleen Arc, Penny Polendina, Umber Thumper, and Cassin Winchester. The four of you retrieved the black knight pieces. From this day forward, you will work together as Team APCT, led by Jayleen Arc."

Apricot? Wait never mind that…

I gave our blonde puppet master the round of applause she deserved and after nudging Raven a bit convinced her to play along.

Also…pfft Thumper…

"And finally…" I straightened as our turn came. Would I be made the leader or would someone else be given the spotlight?

"Summer Rose, Raven Branwen. Qrow Branwen and Taiyang Xiao Long. The four of you retrieved the white knight pieces. From this day forward, you will work together as Team SRQT. Lead by Summer Rose!"

Is…is that _seriously_ what he's going to call us? He's naming us after _Saurkraut_? And he named Jayleen's team after a fucking fruit!

I focused on his face noticed him licking his lips as he took a bite out of…an apricot…with some Saurkraut to his right…

"This is awesome!"

 _GAHH!_

In my distraction Tai lifted me up in his arms twirling me around with all his considerable might.

Woah…no spinning, stop!

"Tai let go of me! Put me _doown!_ " The bastard only laughed and I wanted to strangle him.

For a second I thought Raven flashed me a brief sympathetic smile but it was really hard to tell.

"I will freeze your balls _solid_ if you don't put me down!"

"Meep!" Taiyang _gently_ placed me down, my metal boots clicking nicely against the hard floor.

"So I guess you're our _glorious_ leader then?" There was a teasing tone in Qrow's voice so I played along with birdboy.

"Indeed peasant boy. Now kneel" He quirked an eyebrow and bowed with a smirk painting his face. "Close enough…"

"At least it's better than the _other_ alternatives." I gave her a nod thinking about it myself.

Qrow…god we'd all die.

Raven…that would be even more horribly dysfunctional.

Taiyang might be able to…but he might be a little _too_ naive. A simple soul you could say.

Something I lack, though I do know roughly how people like that think. So I guess I should just hope for the best.

"You need directions huh?" I twisted on the balls of my feet ready to face whoever it was.

Avery Jonquil…

"Uh yes sir." I responded loud and clear mostly out of nervousness.

"I can take you where you need to go."

Good good…

* * *

"What are you looking at?" I couldn't answer her clearly as we stood in the room.

After one of the teachers showed us to our room(right next to Team Apricot of course). We had decided we needed a shower after a long day of hunting Grimm and we were the first up. Raven has been the first to get in to my chagrin.

Do you have _any_ idea how much Grimm really _stink._ Much less the deadly gas of a Stymphalian.

Of course Raven neglected to tell me that she was planning to change in the room instead of the bathroom. So she walked out with a towel _clinging_ to her rather…loosely.

"Well?" She used a second towel to dry off her long hair with question in her eyes.

I rubbed my hands together, unwilling to meet her eyes. She cocked a hip and I sighed.

"Uh it's nothing…don't worry about it." She continued to inspect me and I felt sweat as a knowing smirk formed. The towel covering her form lowered just the _slightest_ bit. My face and ears betrayed me burning red with embarrassment and slight arousal.

Dammit! Why does Raven have to be so perceptive? And I thought she would be _better_ than her brother.

"Shut up!"

I grabbed my clothes before she could go any further, rushing into the safety of the bathroom. I slammed the door shut, breathing out a sigh of relief. I laid down my clothes on the appropriate spot, making sure I had left nothing behind.

Nope…it's fine.

"I really hope no weird shit starts happening later in the year. But I don't have that kind of luck. At least my team is someone who knows what they're doing."

So yeah it's been a pretty good day so far…for now anyway.

* * *

(Unknown POV)

" **The so called gods of light and dark are fools…it is truly for the best that they are gone.** "

"If I could I would show them the _consequences_ of life and death."

" **My memories of their reign is fuzzy due to their conquest but…are they seriously this** _ **idiotic?**_ "

"Unfortunately that answer appears to be yes."

" **What in the stars were those** _ **children**_ **thinking?! They've doomed their own creations for completely arbitrary reasons! Even if my line of silver was born from their interference. This war is utterly meaningless!** "

"And since your contract is passed through blood you can not use your warriors to end this war."

" **At least this outsider's incidental influence has guaranteed the survival of at least some of them. And with the growing power of the Spirits, the destructive capabilities of the Brothers can be…curtailed.** "

"Too bad…that the child of silver won't receive the peace she wants. Not until Salem is either defeated or until humanity flees to the stars."

" **Well…she won't be alone. She is under the limited protection I can provide her. So she should have a chance.** "

"..."

" **You think she can stop** _ **him.?**_ "

"We shall see…"

* * *

 **2nd Author's Note:**

Uh if none of you mind please tell me what you think of the change. Because transitioning to First Person for all characters is a bit of a drastic change from before, though there will be periodic 3rd person scenes. If you've gotten this far thank you.


	14. Year One Arc: Chapter 10

**Author's Note:**

Sorry for the week long delay, I was a tad distracted. But I plan to make it up with another chapter that I'll release my Sunday or monday depending on how things go.

So uh read and enjoy.

* * *

 **Chapter Ten: Welcome to Beacon**

I opened my eyes.

It was the beginning of my time here at Beacon. I yawned, quietly taking note of the fact I was the first to wake up.

I stood up, carefully making sure that my sounds didn't wake up a single soul. I reached for my scroll, ready to check the required courses available for the first years during their first semester:

Grimm Studies (Professor Brass) Monday Morning - Wednesday Morning-Friday Morning

Combat Class (Professor Jonquil) Wednesday Afternoon

History and Government (Doctor Turquoise) Tuesday Afternoon - Thursday Afternoon

These were the apparent base courses and were a lot like what had been shown in the show. But there was actually a wide diversity of unseen electives that proved mildly interesting in some manner or other. Frankly it was a familiar sight to me as a former earth college student.

There was one other teacher though her course was optional, more for people specializing in heavy use of Dust in their combat style. So it'd be more Jayleen's or Umber's style. Jayleen with her bubbles, and Umber with her elemental beams respectively. Though Raven might might enjoy a Dust Arts class too.

The Dust Arts teacher also had a Chemistry course which was useless for me since I already had the credits for that…

But there was a Leadership and Team Management course I was considering. Because while Raven listened to me during the Initiation that could have been because of enlightened self interest rather than genuine respect. Thought the flirting could have been a tell that she didn't hate me.

"What are you doing?"

Guess Raven is up from her beauty sleep…she looks as cute as ever. The brunette yawned, smacking her lips together as she waited for me to reply.

"Just looking up some of the electives…there are quite a few of them here. Dust Arts _might_ suit you. I've personally thinking of Anti-Auric combat and one other…" Perhaps that spiel was a little too long winded?

"Dust Arts…seems suitable for me. I have good control over my weapons Dust crystals but…I can be better." She clearly hated to admit that and I nodded half heartedly as I looked through a few more courses. Raven yawned a second time, wincing as she scratched an itch along her collar bone.

Curiosity beckoned me to activate my semblance, the only tell being a slight shimmer of air. Injury…it seems like something tried to smash her to death but failed. Her collarbone had been cracked rather significantly.

Raven frowned and I shut down my semblance, reigning in my curiosity.

"I…" The sheets of her brothers bed started rustling interrupting whatever she was planning to say. A groan of protest sounded out from the sheets.

"Could you ladies keep it down…someone with _my_ looks needs their rest." I rolled my eyes at the younger twin's muffled complaint.

"Sorry dude but there's no staying asleep when Summer gets up…she isn't an early bird but…she tends to wake up others once boredom sets in."

"Dammit…"

What is the time anyway? My eyes narrowed in on the built in clock.

 _7:20 AM_

"Well we probably need to get up anyway we have our next class at 9 AM and it's 7:20 right now." The trio snapped awake at my statement and I felt a brush of wind as the twins rushed to the bathroom. They both fought over the right before Qrow smirked and pushed his sister back…straight at me!

 _POW!_

Raven bumbled into me and I yelped as 200 pounds of bandit woman crushed me.

"Ugh." I groaned, holding back another help as I came nose to nose with the pretty women. She herself was surprised and an odd sound came out of her throat.

Was…was she trying to hold back a laugh? I couldn't help but give her exposed side a poke and she nearly _snorted._

She got off me at that, a cute blush forming over her cheeks.

A smile pulled at my lips at the un-Raven like actions. I _liked_ this Raven a lot more than the _OG_ Raven.

Much more adorbs…

"You good?"

"Yes…"

We should get ready for class then…

* * *

I wrapped my cloak more tightly around myself, as we stopped with two minutes to spare at the door to our classroom.

I don't particularly care much for the short skirt of the female Beacon uniform, even with their anti gravity thingies. Fortunately my cloak was an adequate shield for my dignity. Though the most important thing wasn't my uniform…it was the Branwen twins uniforms…if for differing reasons.

Turns out Qrow _does_ have nice legs.

And apparently Raven's uniform wasn't made in mind for her sizable bust…so

Yeah…

I opened the door using my Scroll, looking around to find most of the class had already arrived with the sole exception of team Apricot. Though the loud footsteps from behind me, told me they were close.

It didn't take long for us to get adjusted, though the blatant stares from our fellow Huntsmen in training was a little unnerving.

"That's not a kilt is it?" I shook my head at Raven's question, holding in a cackle. It was rather clear that Qrow was going to _murder_ Tai in the near future. And I kind of looked forward to that happening. It would be hysterical…and I would record every second of it.

 _Anywho…_

We were sitting, paying close attention to our teacher who looked…like a World War Two Pilot? He also seemed oddly familiar beyond just that.

"Welcome to Grimm Studies! I am your teacher here, Professor Roland Brass!"

Roland? That rings a bell of some kind.

"Here we will learn about the beasts you will slay and hunt in the near future. The foul and horrid creatures that rampage this land."

How peculiar…I should start taking notes at this point right? Yeah that would be best…

I pulled out a pen and paper, ready and excited to learn though wondering how he would go about it.

Yeah…!

* * *

Oh goddamn that's a lot of information to right down…Roland seems to be the less braggy type in comparison to good old Professor mustache, but he was just as much a rambler.

He talked for hours on end, about the various Grimm subtypes he's fought in his day.

For example he's given me quite a bit of information on a subspecies of Grimm known as a Rakshasa. A distant cousin to the gradually disappearing Troll subspecies. They're not as large as their cousins but they are far more intelligent and faster. Another of their advantages is a limited form of invisibility that make them incredibly dangerous.

Strong, smart and hard to spot, it's a deadly combination among the Grimm. Their main weaknesses are of course the lack of armor, with only a few bony plates around its face and chest, their stealth can be circumvented by either enhanced senses or by hitting it with something. The best places to aim for are its unarmored stomach and legs, though the back of the head can work since its vulnerable there as well.

It was…difficult to pay close attention with the amount of information but I managed, though now my hand was cramping with the amount of talking he did.

But now that class was done there was nothing left to do other than the assignment given to us.

" _That Class is terrible._ " I blinked as Qrow and Tai spoke at the same time. At the synchronization the two boys(mostly Qrow) glared at one another.

"It wasn't that bad…" I protested personally because while it was exhausting, we literally only have to take notes. It's boring but the class is not that complicated. The only time we fight is when he brings in a Grimm as demonstration.

Pretty funny to see Jay get kicked around by a Boarbatusk, though she managed to bring it down after stabbing it in the underbelly.

"It was…a rather uninteresting class…" Raven cut in with a grimace marring her face.

"But it does give us a sizable amount of information on the various Grimm we may face in the field. I'd rather not die because of a Grimm that this class could have taught us about. Dying because of laziness from ten years ago is _not_ how I want to go." I made a weak argument, though I felt no need to start a big debate over the merits of this class.

"That's fair enough." Raven covered her brother's mouth before he could say another word. I gave her a grateful smile, though it shifted into a confused one as her eyes darted away.

She's…shyer…than I expected her to be.

Whatever it doesn't matter anyway…

* * *

"For the first match it's Summer Rose vs Penny Polendina!"

Well…fuck…

The first day of combat class is apparently going to rather screw me over huh? Doesn't help that the teacher is a bit of a hardass at times, though he seems more…unprofessional than my adoptive sister would be. Avery Jonquil was a rather interesting teacher. He was apparently a former Atlas soldier who became good friends with Ozpin's current reincarnation back in the day.

And now I had to fight our little terminator buddy…

And she _was_ a terminator. My semblance told me more than enough of her composition, which was to her benefit much less metallic than you would expect. Mainly a mix of various composites and even her computational system are almost entirely pure carbon. Her muscles seem to be some form of carbon nanotube fiber, maybe three or four hundred times stronger than conventional human muscles.

At the bare minimum… _without_ aura. I also detected a strange hollow sphere that appeared to be her main power source. A one hundred gram crystal of Energy Dust powered her mainly mechanical body, though I could pick up some trace quantities of hydrogen isotopes for some reason.

No…don't get distracted now.

I stepped into the ring, holding onto the shaft of Gungnir while Penny summoned a single sword likely due the limited usefulness of her laser sword combo within a small building.

Ok…quick internal plan…

Penny is absurdly strong, because of her nature as a synthetic being and her potent aura. So I have to either dodge or deflect her blows so I don't take more damage than necessary. Though unlike most I could take her hits more easily. My aura reserves were double the average if not more. Though I did wonder if my silver eyes would have any effect on my reserves

If not….then oh well but…the convenience would be nice.

Raven gave me a thumbs up and I probably sweat dropped when Taiyang and Qrow waved two little flags spelling our team name with an optimistic cheer. I turned back to Penny and I eyed the aura monitor at its respective corner of my HUD. Ahh…technology…your wonders never cease to amaze me.

Finally we started our bout to beat each other to a pulp.

Penny smiled with friendliness _screaming_ on her face. "I hope you do not have hard feelings friend. I would be sad." I shook my head, my helmet hiding the smile forming at the sweet girl's naivety.

But I didn't let my guard down.

 _BOOM!_

I stepped forward twisting on the balls of my feet to avoid the incredible speed that Penny was demonstrating. Ten meters crossed in less than a twentieth of a second, firing off like a bullet with her legs.

She…was fast…faster than Qrow or Raven and they were speedsters of unparalleled skill. The terrifying thing was I didn't feel an outburst of aura. That was from her internal musculoskeletal system.

She slid on the ground but with a _crack_ imbedded her feet in the concrete before attacking once more. Firing off a plasma blast from a single swing of her only held weapon. I hissed as I tried to sidestep the plasma, the heat searing against my skin for the briefest of moments. With the maneuver she had outstretched herself and I took the initiative.

The air crackled with plasmafied air and stray electricity and the smile on Penny's face dropped as the aura sheathed tungsten slug tore through the air to smash against her stomach. Her eyes told me she could react to my bullet just fine, but her body couldn't move at the speed she wanted it to.

Which was when I realized something of importance.

Gungnir, once I have a bead on someone is almost _impossible_ to dodge. Most dust or dust propelled projectiles fly out at around a kilometer to a kilometer and half per second. Not much _faster_ than chemically propelled slug throwers but they hit harder anyway. But Gungnir is four times greater in velocity than any Remnant weapon.

Though getting a bead on someone moving at over a quarter of a kilometer per second isn't exactly an easy task.

The world came back into focus and the aura monitor flashed as over a third of Penny's aura was drained in an instant. She staggered but recovered quickly, first four beams...

 _SHIT!_

Half burned against my aura, taking a single percent off the bar. Penny surged forward and I ducked past a punch only to take a kick to the stomach.

 _H-Holy crap she hits hard…_

I suppressed a wheeze, my armor dulling some of the blow to its detriment. One plate would have cracked if it wasn't for the aura coating of my body

 _Summer Rose Aura 94%_

F-Fuck…she hits like a damn barge to the face!

I twisted Gungnir around, hooking its halberd head around her body and throwing her away from me. During the swing I activated an array, and she took the equivalent of a dozen 40mm grenades to the face.

 _Penny Polendina 50%_

The robot girl grinned…and to my horror a dozen swords hovered over my head, and…

 _SHOOM!_

Several lasers converged and I held back a shout as my body felt the heat and prickle of plasma and light.

Almost twenty percent of my aura gone…in a single attack.

 _Fuck this shit!_

The area around me burst out into psychically controlled flames, the swords twisted and melted in the heat and soon beams of fire converged onto Penny like they had converged on me.

 _BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!_

Three concussive shockwaves followed one after the other, each taking a sizable chunk of Penny's shield. I snuffed the flame and smoke out, taking away the fire's fuel and dissociating the soot into raw matter.

Penny rubbed her chin giving me a friendly smile all the same. Yet I could clearly see I had brought her aura down to potentially critical level, maybe 22%.

Just a few more hits and I can win…

"Very impressive friend but…" Penny practically flash stepped and her fist buried itself into the right side of my face. Even our combat teacher was shocked, the punch dropping me another twenty percent, before it was followed up by six weaker blows.

 _49%_

Jesus…or Monty?

 _Pfft…can you imagine?_

My hand swung, the hard shaft of my spear crashing against Penny's back.

An array _burned._

Lightning made her go haywire, the shock wrecking temporary havoc on Penny's systems. Though she was only slightly more susceptible to electricity than a regular human/faunus.

I grabbed Gungnir by the barrel end, and _cracked_ the butt of it against her forehead. Aura _burst_ out and she was knocked out of bounds ending the match…

"Not bad for a first day. As you can see Miss Polendina's has been knocked out of bounds. In tournament rul—" I stowed my weapon away as it compressed to the more manageable bladed anti material rifle.

With a press of a button I removed my helmet so I could look at Penny in the eye(camera?). My hair tickled my ears as I offered a hand to the gynoid.

"An excellent battle my friend!" She gleefully accepted my gesture and I easily lifted her light bulk. Though she _was_ heavier than she looked, writhing 75 kilograms despite being like five foot five. I'm like 82 kilos and was five inches taller.

"Yeah that was a great fight friend." I put emphasis on friend and she _beamed._ I was practically blinded by that smile.

So _bright…_

"Thank you." She let go of my hand and I turned to face our teacher as he gave us our respective criticism.

"Now Miss Rose. On your side, your attacks hit hard and fast but…you don't seem to catch up." He was right, I've always been rather slow on the uptake if you know what I mean. "You failed to take much initiative outside of the start and once Penny got close you had issues with keeping up." I nodded meekly largely agreeing with his criticism.

"Yeah…I do prefer range for a reason." I backpedaled when the man raised an eyebrow. "Not that I shouldn't improve! I just mean…that at my current skill level I prefer to fight at a distance."

"Of course…now as for Miss Polendina. You did rather well, you seem fairly balanced in your combat style, but…you're too linear."

Linear? Wait…god damn it she was moving in a straight line! Very predictable…I should have noticed that. I let the words flow past me, taking a seat next to my partner.

"You're…better than I was expected." I felt mildly hurt at her lack of faith. "But we can work on your shortcomings soon enough."

I blinked. "Ehhh?"

She blinked back. "We're partners aren't we? We should help each other…right?" She looked unsure for a moment, and a smile formed on my face.

Someone as socially awkward as I am…is a real gift I tell you what.

"Heh. Yeah that's how it works." I didn't want to discourage her. And I stopped asking myself where that social Darwinism bullshit was. But then again it's completely possible that my existence here has changed things up. Though another possibility is that whatever turned _this_ Raven into _that_ Raven hasn't happened yet. That or her philosophy does not preclude working in a group.

Regardless…I hope this trend can keep up…

I would hate to fight such a pretty face…

* * *

As the voice of Jen Taylor rang through the classroom I finally figured out why the teachers felt so damn familiar at times.

The voices, the looks…they look like…well…

Video game characters who shouldn't _exist_ in this universe. That or they were some type of coincidental doppelgängers. Either way it was mildly interesting to meet them.

Our…teacher was a woman in her mid thirties who wore a skintight blue patterned catsuit which caught the attention of the unknowing male(and female) students among the class. It ended poorly…for anyone dumb enough to watch for more than few glances.

Her skin was pale, with odd hues of blue and eyes that shined with light. Likely some manner of cybernetics implanted into her eye socket. Her black shiny hair reached down to her chin, overall she painted the picture of an attractive women in her prime.

"Hey big guy! My eyes are up here." Her smirk was easy to see and Cassin flushed as he was called out. He muttered out an apology and I shook my head. How they boy hadn't gotten his nervous habits broken out of despite spending _years_ with several attractive girls I don't got a clue.

That's not arrogant is it? It's fine to think and know that you _are_ appealing in some manner right? Not that I'll try to flaunt it or anything , that's not my thing…

"Class is dismissed!" I blinked looking down to see my hands had automatically taken notes while I was lost in my thoughts.

"We should go…" Raven tapped my shoulder and I put away my stuff, then brushing my skirt to remove any wrinkles. Wonder if I should try out a male uniform…I'm sure I'd look good in it. But the I'm sure I could make anything look good if I bothered to try.

But again stuff like "fashion" is uninteresting no matter how many times my female friends have tried to change my mind.

"Sums-up!" I felt my heartbeat pick up as Jayleen snuck up from behind me, snaking an arm around my waist. I kept an eye roll back, reciprocating her friendly smile. Though I had to keep my mouth shut as I noticed how she had to rise up onto her tiptoes to hug me.

I could easily pick her up if I really wanted to…

"Now since the weekend is upon us, how would you like to hang out for a bit. A little r&r between sisters teams." She gave me a big smile and I couldn't say no to my friend of several years.

Especially when you have the sad drooping ears of Umber in view…and the glistening eyes of a shy tough guy like Cassin don't help either.

"Are you guys okay with that?" I asked Raven and Qrow especially since they were the most likely to say no out of my team…

My team…

I _have_ a team…

It's only sinking in now that I'm responsible for keeping myself as well as my friends alive. I have to talk to them, help them so they can be the best they can be.

"Yes there's no…issue."

"Yep, shouldn't be a problem." Their relative compliance was a god send at least for now.

"Good! Cus I know just where to go!"

Hopefully it's not another strip club like last time…fortunately it's easy to blame that on Jayleen. Else I would be more pissed off than you could ever imagine.

I'm going to regret this question but I needed to know.

"What did you have in mind?"

* * *

Thank the heavens for small mercies that Jayleen decided to be lenient in her weirdness.

After our last lesson we had taken a bullhead ride into the city. Apparently a cute little coffee shop had caught Jay's eyes and she decided to share it with us.

And it was great. Not too loud, the portions were big enough to feed Huntsmen with our sizable calorie intake.

It's always seen off to me how they are so much in the show, though I go with artistic license as well as a partial truth. Remnan humans do eat more than we do even as civilians, likely a consequence of their biology. Maybe three to five thousand calories a day. Huntsmen eat about two and a half times that amount, which _is_ about the difference between normal people and soldiers or athletes.

"Try it…" I took the slightly warmed up chocolate chunk cookie, tapping a dainty finger against its surface.

 _Not bad._

Whoever made this had a passion for their work and should be praised, but how does it taste?

 _CRUNCH!_

My word this is…this is…

"EEEE! It's so good! Get me three more!" I squealed happily swinging my legs back and forth. I pointedly ignored the stares from the Branwen half of our team.

"Oh, Summer has a _really_ strong sweet tooth, with the weird exception of ice cream and cake." Tai's explanation quieted any questions and I continued to mindlessly nibble away at the delicious and chocolatey treat.

If there was anything to have in common with the OG Summer it would be our love for cookies.

Raven herself seemed to _love_ coffee, preferably with two cups of sugar. Something I'd likely remember, due to my semblance anyway. Same for everyone else's preferences.

She sipped the coffee cup with a happy hum, while eying her cooling egg and bacon croissant. Her brother was drinking what…I think was water from a familiar flask.

Hmm…

 _PING!_

Yep just water…with .2% alcohol. Whether that's due to contamination or mere coincidence I have no clue.

"You have a rather interesting semblance Summer…" I fought the urge to hide in my cloak as Raven suddenly spoke.

"Uh Yeah…my semblance is pretty powerful and diverse." I kept my nervousness masked though I doubt I did a good job of it.

"Honestly I've never seen a semblance with that many different effects. You're rather strong as well." I blushed at the compliment, straightening my back subconsciously. It seemed like a genuine statement but I shouldn't let it get to my head.

Especially since I have no idea how genuine she's being. She could be buttering me up just to calm my suspicions. But since she's my teammate and partner I'll let it slide though I'll keep an eye on her just in case.

"Heh…Summer's semblance is pretty neat but it does make me curious," Jayleen was smiling, eying Qrow with a curious look. "I know your sister's semblance but I haven't figured out what you might have."

The jovial atmosphere became cold and foreboding, Raven's eyebrow twitching ever so slightly. Qrow's heartbeat had elevated and the grip on his flask had tightened greatly. Jayleen hissed as the striking change in mood hit her.

"Uh…if you don't want to talk about it, that's okay. You don't need to bring down the mood like that." Jayleen did her best to placate the twins and the relaxing atmosphere slowly returned after a couple of minutes.

The conversation turned to other more mundane topics, though to my slight shame my eyes did periodically…drift to my partner.

She…was really pretty and it was hard to take my eyes off her even for a second. Especially in her rather more loose fitting casual wear. Because unlike in a computer animated show with limited budget. We can periodically change our outfits like a normal person.

Wonder if I can ask her for a hug…

Probably not, to my misfortune but someday I will hug her…and it'll be great.

"Are you alright? You seem to be staring rather… _intently_ at someone." I grumbled at the amused insinuation Jayleen was making, and I promptly ignored her by stuffing my face with another delectable treat.

"Shut up. I'll do what I want." My friend continued to smile, and I almost desired wiping that smug smirk off her face.

"Ahhh. I think it's cute, you've never really had a crush before so this is a good change of pace." I bit my lip, glancing over a second(or fifth) time to Raven as she stared intently at her coffee. I opened my mouth to ask her what was wrong until…

The sound of a bullet shot out, and my hand cut through the air to knock it off course from a patron behind me.

I turned ready to beat the shit out of whoever had shot at us, until I noticed just who had attacked.

I had occasionally heard of their thankfully rare exploits on the news. Because in a world like this, the violence of the White Fang didn't arise because of _nonexistent_ prejudice.

Another group so much like them, yet one disbanded and scattered to the wind before the rise of the violent sections of the White Fang.

The Red Hand…a disparate group of Anti-Faunus "activists" usually responsible for vandalism and minor crime, though some of their more powerful members dabble in murder and faunus slave trading.

They had snuck past us, despite both my own senses and Umber's. I hypothesized a semblance of some manner. Possibly illusion, or just bending light and using the loudness of the Cafe to distract us.

The apparent leader of the small bunch of…six pulled out a huge but simple battle axe gun. He gave a frowning Umber a lecherous smile and I wanted to knock his teeth out and shove them right up his…

Calm…Summer…calm…no murdering in front of witnesses.

Civilians…I meant civilians.

Yeah that's what I meant.

The others, who I would label Mooks one through five, were much less of a threat their weapons were even simpler, normal axes and swords instead…so.

Worse off than any of us…especially with their puny aura reserves…if they trained for it I'm sure they'd do fine but…

Average people don't put in the training for that…

"First…as an example to your _disgusting_ animal lovers I'll cut off the pretty little head of this girl." He gestured to me and I gave him a blank cold look. "Everyone one of you will die by _my_ hand for your sins. And I'll take that little rabbit as a cute little pet once I'm done."

I blocked the fast as snail pace axe blade with my bare hands and without a blink the tattooed array on my hand lit up. The reaction broke straight through the thin coating of aura around the weapon, and I proceeded to disassemble it into scrap.

The dirty blonde, from what I could see from his shoddy red mask stepped back, instantly falling into a fighting stance. I stood up, my lips curling into a cruel smile.

"You and your friends should really be leaving now. I'm sure you have better things to do." He growled before vanishing…

So my little theory was correct…

I side stepped a punch to my chest, my left hand shooting out and punching him in the neck. If not for his aura the aura would surely have collapsed his neck, killing him.

Not much of a loss really…but killing someone and the aftermath of that is both too much work for no gain. And immoral obviously…I'm really rather adverse to killing people…

Watching the life drain from their eyes as they fade away…is not something I'll _ever_ enjoy.

"You bitch!" He cursed me out, and Umber used the sound of his stupid voice, to launch a kick right into his stomach. His semblance broke, and with a sigh I picked him up by the neck.

He left the confines of my hand like a cannonball barreling into his lackeys, and shattering the window of the store as they landed. He tried to stand until I buried my boot into his gut, and I gave him a wide smile, as I _gently_ felt his ribs against my feet.

"You…stupid animal loving piece of shit. When I get my buds here, we'll see just how you'll scream." I cocked my head, adding another kick taking a sizable chunk out of his aura. I didn't move a muscle as one of his men, a skinny skinhead type of guy aimed to throw a punch at me. He promptly "tripped" smacking his head against another lackey and knocking the both of them out.

"How unfortunate…I really pity you. You don't even realize how _stupid_ you are." He growled and I stomped on his chest, taking another chunk of his aura.

"You…"

"You _can't_ hurt me, you know that right? None of you have the _balls_ or skills to try. And if one of you do? I'm not stupid enough to go in like Leeroy Jenkins and getting myself killed." He shivered and with a final kick, knocked him out.

I gave a distasteful frown against the shattered window, and while I could have used my semblance to fix it, the shards were a little too scattered for me to do so. Also a little too much attention for my taste…

Shortly after that little incident we were questioned by the Vale police who seemed…oddly more competent than I would have once expected them to be. But that seems to be something that applies to Vale in general.

Whether that's because we're in the past or if something has shifted in the last few years I have no damn idea.

I…still wondered how my _old_ home was doing…at this point it had been at least seventeen years since I died and was reborn here, regaining most of my memories around eleven.

That would make it around…2035? At that point we'll likely have a few dozen people on Mars or maybe even a hundred if SpaceX have anything to say about it. Millions of electric vehicles with ranges exceeding two hundred miles, or even up to five hundred for some.

Genomic technology should be ramping up at that point with more advanced and precise forms of CRISPR. Climate change will probably be irreversible since we've faffed about since the 80s. There will be more than eight billion people in comparison to a hundred and fifty million people here.

"Summer?" I broke out of my inner monologue when Raven shook my shoulder.

"What is it?" She flushed the slightest, passing her scroll so I could make out some news.

There seemed to be a news cast of some variety, showing…

Doctor Kitsune?

" _You say you've started launching your 'Voidship' already Doctor?_ "

The mature fox faunus nodded her head with a smug smirk, her tail wagging excitedly " _Indeed, at our current rate plans are for the Orbital Transmit System to be fully online within three weeks. Several launch pads have been constructed across the globe, including two pads in Vale, three in Atlas, two in Mistral and Vacuo and even a single pad within Menagerie._ "

I blinked at the surprise and footage played of the several constructed locations. Small towns were springing to life around the important locations, though oddly enough they didn't tell any of the specifics of _where_ they were…

Probably for the best, and I could see a healthy dose of what looked like upsized versions of my precious gun. Some measured six meters if I was right on my estimates, probably firing a 10 kilogram round at…I don't know 8 km/s?

A few shots from those could bring down a grand Goliath.

Another oddity for the ones outside of Atlas were the tall walls built as well as the general circular structure of the city. I know some towns made use of Earth dust to uplift stone structure or reinforced roads but this…seemed different.

Regardless it was clear these cities were built with killing as many Grimm as possible if an invasion happend, though I had my doubts that would happen.

" _And how much will this cost the taxpayers? Billions of Liens on something with barely any use whatsoever?_ " Kitsune raises an eyebrow and the reporter's calm and confident look broke.

" _Ohh? Is that what you think? I'll have you know that this supposedly "useless" program earns a sizable profit, every Lien invested here adds two Lien back to the global economy. With the addition of the OTS, we can communicate across the globe with even greater ease. No more expensive and difficult to build relays, only a tiny box to provide a connection to every village on our world._ "

" _I…_ "

" _So please…tell me how this isn't a boon to all of humanity?_ "

"That reporter is kind of a bitch huh?" Raven nodded in agreement, and I _discreetly_ stepped closer, brushing hips with my partner.

"Anything else you wanna show me?"

"A few things yes…"

* * *

(Raven's POV)

"Dammit Qrow! Why did you have to be such an idiot?!" I snapped at my brother once we were alone.

"Hey you were being all suspicious like too." I growled at the rising flush in my cheeks. He wasn't wrong, it was blatantly unnecessary to react like I did.

I had no idea what had come over me…

"It's Summer isn't it?" I held back an urge to clock my brother in the head.

"And what _exactly_ do you mean by that dear brother?" An eyebrow twitches involuntarily, and Qrow paled to my satisfaction.

"Uh, I just…I know you want to find out what she's hiding right? It's pretty easy to tell, I _am_ your brother after all."

"Fair enough." I relaxed, taking off my shoes and wiggling my now freed toes.

"And the fact you have the hots for her doesn't help…"

You…

 _POW!_

"FUCK! You b…" I smiled showing my teeth. " _Beautiful_ sister of mine who I love very much."

"I'll show you _mercy_ for the time being. We have more important things to discuss." Qrow turned serious, his eyes narrowing at my change in tone.

"What is it then?"

I took a deep breath. "It's about the future. Once we complete our training here."

"Once we go back to the tribe you mean?"

My lips pursed at his statement, and he looked at me in amazement. "You have that look in your eye. You always said you loved the tribe like family. What the _hell_ changed?"

"I discovered something…while we were leaving I overheard a conversation from Spring."

Qrow hissed. "Spring?! The leader of the Branwen?! Our leader? If she caught you, she'd kill you!" I looked at my hands, remembering the _thing_ she had made contact with.

A gigantic and frightening black knight…

"She's made some type of deal…a _dangerous_ one. And even if we become as strong as her…it's unlikely we'll survive the crossfire."

"I…what the hell Raven?"

I was…

"Woah are you okay?"

Was I shaking? Why was I…

"Hey come here for a minute. If you need a shoulder to cry on you can have it."

Spring is a fool…and she's doomed our tribe to extinction.

* * *

(Unknown POV)

Deep within the lands of Mistral two warriors met, one a seemingly dainty women with green hair and red eyes, and the other a black armored behemoth, carrying a sword two meters in length.

A rather disparate and interesting pair, the women while waifish had murdered many many people in her day, and would kill many more before her life came to an end.

The man, a man of science twisted by grief and rage into an unyielding berserker. A being of vengeance and hate, much unlike the women.

She killed many, but she took no particular pleasure in her deeds. She was merely doing what she needed to do, so she could survive in a cruel and hostile world.

And the gift of incredible power that the world gave her didn't hurt.

"So all we have to do is kill as many Huntsmen as possible?"

"Indeed, my _benefactor_ is willing to pay you in Dust and supplies, as well as a sizable quantity of Lien."

"An interesting deal we've made huh? If you hadn't proved you were good for it I would have gutted you for such a stupid plan."

"Just leave some for my…experiments and you will be rewarded handsomely…"

The women looked unsure but she decided to simply go with it. Whoever the benefactor was, they would elevate the Branwen clan to legendary status.

"So you've brought in the Red Hand too? That may prove an issue for my clan, since we have faunus among us."

"They are simply useful tools for us, they will prove a suitable distraction for my master's goal."

"If you're sure…" the women sighed, and turned on her heels leaving the Berserker to his devices.

The black knight froze when he heard a ringing sound, carefully removing a vibrating scroll from his hand. A single photo sent the knight into a frenzy and he barely kept himself from shattering his electronic device in apoplectic rage.

It was an image of a coffee place, as six men are beaten down by a white cloaked women in a black dress. In the image he could see the face of a women he had not seen in a long, _long_ time. But her knew that women was dead, so it could only her her child. The man took a deep breath, placing the device away.

"You…betrayed me…all those years ago. You did not help me quench my thirst for vengeance and justice. We could have destroyed them all, we had the power and the means to do so."

The man of science was now nothing but a chained beast, chained to a petty woman corrupted first by grief like he was, and then corrupted by the endless pool of nightmares and destruction.

"You do not help me. So to take vengeance I will make her suffer. And then…"

His body exploded with power and aura, the ground crumbling beneath his feet. Attracted to his sheer negativity, hundreds of prowling Grimm surrounded him.

They pounced…

" **Atlas will burn!** "

The Grimm screamed as multicolored light exploded outwards, and the land vanished into dust.


	15. Year One Arc: Chapter 11

**Author's Note:**

Hello everybody! I've got chapter eleven ready for judgement. Don't have much to say here until the second note. So read and enjoy I guess.

* * *

 **Chapter Eleven: Misfortune**

"Son of a bitch!"

I tripped on a misplaced shoe slamming my face into the hardwood floor…at the same time Qrow winced, and I internally sighed.

It's been about two weeks since the little incident at the coffee shop. We've gradually been getting used to our various classes, as well as picking out an elective or two. I had gone with the leadership and Anti-Auric combat course, Raven had gone with Dust Arts , Qrow had gone with the Auric classes, likely figuring he could learn how to control his semblance.

It was clear it wasn't doing much good right now…

"You're rather clumsy aren't you?" Raven had a sardonic smile on her face while offering a hand. I took it despite my suppressed anger, taking a deep breath to calm myself

"Shut up…" Shit I could _hear_ the amusement dripping from her saccharine tone. It made me want it either slap her or kiss her…

…

You know…sometimes I hate my inexperience with romance. Else I'd have an idea of how not to say(well think) stupid stuff like that. I least I had it better than Colt Remington, poor bastard had to be caught in the middle of terrifying(and hilarious) love triangle between half a dozen women who could all kick his ass in seven different ways.

Me…I only have to deal with the one, though the main issues with _that_ will be if she's even into girls like that. Also the fact we have a _shitload_ of baggage between the two of us that need to be dealt with first.

Either way, I'll make her my friend even if it kills me…

And it might…

"You have a scary look on your face again Sums…"

"OFF TO CLASS, CAPTAIN'S ORDERS!"

"Why are you yelling!"

"Don't question my orders you scallywag!"

* * *

I focused intently on the fight between Qrow and the the unnamed student, though I may have heard someone calling her Mauve.

Either way the purple haired women was doing rather _poorly_ against our resident bad luck charm. Her dual axes did little damage against him despite their heft, or the gravity waves they would emit.

The women operated like a tank, slow, unmoving and incredibly strong. Which did poorly against Qrow, since he could hit almost as hard but throw them out much faster. Death of a thousand cuts basically…it didn't help that periodically some bad luck would strike her.

A weak spot on the floor sinking in and making her lose her footing. Some glass shattering and distracting her. And Qrow took advantage of every opening offered to him on a silver platter.

The battle ended swiftly as the girl tripped a third time and Qrow with s smirk, shifted his stance cutting right across her chest. Her aura dropped below fifteen percent and the match was called.

The girl held back a pout, slapping an offered hand away. She nearly stormed off, until she caught the look our teacher was giving her. Mauve offered a small bow, leaving back to the stands…

"She's going through a pretty bad patch of bad luck huh?" Taiyang commented from my left as Qrow victoriously sauntered back to his own seat.

"She didn't stand a chance." I shook my head sadly, as the girl sulked in her seat, fuming over the loss.

"Qrow has always been…good at turning a fight around. But it's gotten him in trouble as much as he's gotten out of it."

I can imagine…with a semblance like that it's going to bring trouble to _someone._

Guess that's the last spar of the day…

He's still never used his scythe before though, it seems he hasn't needed that mode to take down any of his opponents so far. I would like to get up close and personal with it however, it's among the most complex weapons we have outside of mine. Though his makes much greater use of gears, while my Gungnir only makes use of limited telescoping, and a hinge or three. Even then it does make for some maintenance heavy equipment.

Though it's interesting to know that Qrow made his scythe because of Maria…

Too bad that's tempered by the fact that Grimm are basically magic bullshit. Goddamn the fact a grimm like the Apathy can exist is frightening. Who knows what other bullshit can exist, and is something I'm going to have to write down.

I opened up the book I had picked up after mulling it over for a few days…

I had decided to write down a journal on all the respective Grimm species I know or will learn about. Basic tactics to use against them, their strengths and weaknesses and so on. Some of it I had gotten from show or from my teachers lectures.

Most of the time it was rather simple and easy to bring down an average Grimm but that didn't mean you should let you your guard down. Even a simple Grimm if old enough and creative enough could bring you down and _kill_ you.

I took a single step…

 _CRASH!_

Motherfucker! AGAIN?!

This time I picked myself up, waving my arms around for balance. I swear I heard Raven snicker and I stopped the pissed off rant from leaving the tip of my tongue.

"R-Right let's forget that ever happened kapeesh?" My three teammates whistled innocently and I narrowed my eyes. "Did you hear me?" Tai and Qrow couldn't meet my eyes, and Raven still had an infuriating smirk on her face. But it became a healthy curiosity as she got a view of the pages. I took a step closer and turned so she could get a better look.

"Oh…it's just a little book I'm writing on the Grimm. I thought maybe it would help for class." Raven's eyes followed along a section on Beowolf subtypes, her interest peaked now.

"Considered the most common and basal of Grimm, the werewolf like beasts typically use little to no tactics, often throwing themselves against Huntsmen with no sense of self preservation. Older members however exhibit increased intelligence, developing strategies based on previous encounters against their prey. They are not to be underestimated, they are individually weak but their sheer numbers can exhaust a Huntsmen, and no amount of skill will protect you then."

"That's…pretty pessimistic isn't it?" Qrow seemed a little off put by my written word. Again unexpected from someone with my looks. I still looked a lot like Summer Rose since I am her.

I shrugged my shoulders. "Meh…I'm just being honest. I don't think a Huntsmen wants 'Eaten by a Beowolf' on their grave. All you have to do is have some common sense and you'll be fine."

"I just thought you'd be more the big hero type." Qrow didn't seem disappointed. More, just interested and I felt it was good start to our budding team.

I snapped my fingers, giving him a wink. "Oh but I am, but a hero should come prepared instead of going in like some barbarian. Batman instead of Superman basically." The twins were confused while Taiyang nodded sagely agreeing with me.

"I don't know what that is." Raven was blunt with her ignorance though her curiosity quickly turned to _another_ page. One I had only recently completed after shifting through some…painful memories. Qrow read the title on the page aloud.

"Fenrir?" I felt a deep cold despite the warmth of being near several people. It had been difficult to get any information on that Grimm from so many years ago. I had to call Gilda to ask what it had been like.

"May I?" Raven picked up on the air better than her brother, and I nodded rather meekly. She frowned at the overly dreary and nightmarish depiction of the Fenrir, long since burned into my memory. Her hand brushed against the image before she started reading.

"The Fenrir…a particularly ancient Grimm related to the common Beowolf. The main differences lies in its intelligence, size, and durability. Fenrir's are much larger, easily the size of small bullheads. Likely living for many centuries, they are the pinnacle of their kind. Often accompanied by hundreds of lesser Grimm, they use their raw strength and power to put a Huntsmen on the backfoot, and the swarm tactics of their lesser kin to finish them off. Recommended tactics would be to isolate them from their packs, as well as placing or creating obstacles in their path due to their bulk. Explosions and armor piercing projectiles are the best bet to bring them down."

Raven frowned at the excessive load out required, especially since I went into the specifics on what was needed. Which was beyond what anyone could bring to the fight outside of myself. "Preferably they are brought down by a team or even several teams of Huntsmen working together to ensure minimum casualties."

"That…is oddly specific…have you…how do you even know something like that exists?" Qrow was only curious, yet I had the urge to snap at him. Not his fault though…

"One of them almost destroyed my home town."

"Oh…" Qrow winced, and his sister harshly nudged him shutting any further foot in mouth disease.

A bitter laughter escaped my throat. "Heh…heh, that was _not_ a good time."

We stopped any further conversation, though Raven continued to leaf through my book. Most of the Grimm didn't seem to interest her, though a few like…the _Apathy_ and the Dragon gave her pause.

 _CHINK!_

Huh? What was th—!

"Oh god my face! Why is it always my _fucking_ face?!" I screamed in frustration, and in my rage slapped Qrow in the face. Much to his flabbergasted expression I did it a second time. I took a deep shaky breath, brushing my hair back from my face.

"Uh…Summer?" I gently patted the still flabbergasted Qrow as an apology, once my senses had returned to me. Taiyang stopped any further questioning and I huffed away from the trio, gently taking my book from Raven's hands and walking off back to our room.

Stupid…stupid bullshit pseudo-magical semblance!

* * *

(Raven's POV)

Does…does she know? And if she does…how? I know what her semblance is and it surely does not allow for her to figure out things like this.

Unless she's more perceptive than I thought…and if she can figure out his semblance does that mean she already knows…

No…no of course not…and even if she does, I have my doubts she'll do anything about it. She doesn't seem the type to tell on people…but it also makes me wonder how much Ozpin may know.

In the brief meetings I've had with him, he always…had an air of a man who could find all your dirty secrets with ease.

But for now…I suppose it would be best to lie as low as possible.

 _BZZZZ!_

Ehh?

I looked around as what sounded like a fly buzzed past my ear. I focused my my eyes and _reached_ out. In an instant I had grasped a…small…fly…does…it have a ca-

 _SQUISH_

Nevermind…I broke it…

Perhaps I was just seeing things…

No matter, I have better things to do…

Like taking care of my oddball partner.

"I'm not carrying you." I told her bluntly despite the quivering of her lips. My fists tightened as her eyes trembled and opened wide, the Huntress in training trying to convince me.

"Ah _c'mon,_ my face hurts so much from getting a plank of _wood_ to the face." She begged me to help her, and I denied her advances…

That…was poorly worded…

I turned to the only one on our team who really knew her. Taiyang had an amused idiotic grin and I held back a groan. Please tell me he doesn't condone this.

"Come on Raven, she's our leader. You _have_ to help her." He smiled even wider.

That…blonde…bastard.

Summer held her hands together, her lip trembling again.

I…

Dammit…

Summer squeaked when I picked her up, wrapping an arm around her waist. She relaxed while I carried her like a sack of potatoes…

If she's going to be lazy I'm not going to make it comfortable for her.

Shut…up Qrow I can hear your laughing you…

Who's that blonde?

I went still as my instincts screamed at me, those piercing green eye glaring at me. She seemed to be sizing me up, her eyes darting to a sheepish Summer…

Who waved back? Why would she…?

Wait…I've seen a person with that same face before…but that had to be almost four years ago and she was…certainly older than that.

"H-Hey Glynda…it's good to see you." Summer laughed nervously, while the Huntress quirked an eyebrow, an amused smirk painting a certain picture.

She was tall, shorter than me but taller than her…friend…sister perhaps? They don't look related though Summer could be adopted.

The blonde's smirk widened, and she placed a hand on her shapely hip. She seemed a rather serious women though I questioned the riding crop on her side.

"You've made some new friends?" Summer nodded with a small grin, waving her hands with an oddly cute fervor.

The silver eyes girl started to squirm out of my grip, and I rolled my eyes.

"I thought your face still hurt…" Summer flushed, mumbling something under her breath. I couldn't make it out but it was probably hilarious…

She brushed her hair back, standing steady on her two feet. She unruffled her skirt, and she _lunged._

"Oof!" Glynda yelped out as Summer tackler her, picking her up in a tight bear hug.

"It's good to see you sis…" She mumbled into the older women's neck, and I felt a spike of… _something._

"Good to see you too Summer…" the two women released their hold of the other. I felt trepidation as those bright green eyes looked up and down at Qrow and I. She appeared to ignore Taiyang, likelt because she already knew him well.

But in our case we would be an unknown…

She smiled, and I wondered what she saw in us.

"You must be Summer's teammates…" she offered a hand, her back straightening as a serious expresion took over. I shook it, wincing at the strength behind her grip.

It made sense however…she was a four year student if I was guessing correctly. None of the second and third years I had seen, had quite the same level of power and experience behind them.

It…was awe inspiring…seeing how far I still had to go…

"Pretty cool right? Ozpin made me team leader for _some_ reason." Summer raised her eyebrows a few times much to my confusion. Her sister's eyes widened at the action, before suddenly that emotion was suppressed

"I suppose he thought you would be the best fit for leading this team."

She's…definitely the best choice among us four…Qrow…is Qrow. I don't particularly have a desire to lead, and Taiyang…

Is a bit of an idiot…

"An interesting team you've gotten yourself into." Summer shrugged her shoulders, her lips upturning into an almost smile.

Our…leader pressed her hands against her cheeks in apparent happiness as an idea lit up her eyes. She lifted her right index finger into the air, spearing toward her blonde sister.

"Fight me!"

W-What?!

* * *

(Glynda's POV)

I wonder what Summer is thinking? She's rarely this enthusiastic about sparring, barring some occasions when her fighting spirit lets loose.

More important was the fact that she _knew_ what she was, and _knew_ that Ozpin wanted someone like her. But then…this isn't even close to the strangest things I had learned in my tenure at Beacon.

And I had always known that my adoptive little sister had secrets of her own…

"Are…are you ready?" I could hear the nervousness in her voice when we entered the sparring circle after obtaining permission.

We both flared our aura, and I felt a spike of surprise at…just how much she had for her age and experience. It was more than double what I had at her age, and I felt disquieted by it.

I wonder how strong she's become after all of these years?

Summer fidgeted nervously for a moment and I felt the urge to call the match off.

She couldn't be ready, I didn't want to hurt her by mi—

I barely dodged a spear thrust from Summer, a smug smirk on her face.

Blue light filled my vision…

 _BOOOM!_

An explosion rattled my ears, but it hardly put a dent in my aura. I sighed, shaking my head, my grip tightening on my weapon.

"You've gotten stronger after all these years…I'm impressed."

Summer didn't say a word, gritting her teeth. I've seen that expression before…

She knows I'm out of her league, and _I_ know it too. And from the stands I could tell her team had the same thoughts.

I waved my crop…and a wave of telekinetic force barrelled down toward the first year student. She quirked a brow and a dozen arrays came to life…

She countered force with force, a blast of pressurized air and detonated explosives stopping my first attack. Another explosion nearly made me move back until I realized the attack had seemingly missed by miles.

Like she wasn't even trying to ai—

 _Oh…_

I see what you're trying to do little sister.

The battlefield was left obscured as harmless smoke blocked my vision…

"An interesting trick dear sister…" I hoped my mocking tone would provoke her, but we both knew she was smarter than that.

 _SHINK!_

My left hand lashed out, with a Dust barrier blocking the axe aimed for my arm.

Our eyes met…and she _fired._

A metallic grenade crashed itself against me before detonating, a combination of Thermobaric Dust and detonating thermite taking a good sliver off of it.

Summer jumped back, using my brief moment of distraction to press down on the trigger…

Too slow…

I knocked her weapon out of her hand…a massive wall of telekinetic force hitting her like a truck.

I took multiple steps forward, my heels clicking with each one of them.

Summer looked more nervous. "Perhaps this was a mistake."

I raised an eyebrow. "You think so?"

 _WOOSH!_

 _BOOM!_

My semblance was countered once again, and Summer stepped out of the smoke, _Determination_ written on her face. Her bare hands glowed blue, the "tattoos" on both sides of her hand brimming with energy.

I took a single step…before flinching back as a pulse of malignant aura made something _snap._

One of the lights collapsed, throwing tens of kilograms of mass falling where I had been standing.

That's…odd…

I ignored the blast of fire and lightning, easily sidestepping the attack, and with a sigh whipped my weapon against Summer's face. She rocketed across the classroom, and I held back a grin as a good five percent of her aura was lost.

But I had more important duties…

"Qrow," the boy in question grumbled, his calluses hands curling in on themselves. "Is there something you want to tell me?" His sister stiffened, and I noticed her aura flare up for a brief moment.

He looked defeated, and Summer took hold of her weapon, but compacted it ending the match.

"I…how…did…you know?"

Foolish boy…even Summer could tell with how your aura expelled itself…

Perhaps getting it out in the open will help him…

Summer should understand my actions.

* * *

(My POV)

Shit…that's…I didn't expect _this_ to happen so soon. But then again Gilda was the one to teach us how to sense aura, gives us a good cue for picking out the use of a semblance. Though her skills in it are clearly above what I'm capable of at the moment.

Though really I didn't expect my match with Glynda to end this way. I was expecting to get knocked out within a minute with how _fast_ she seems to be.

As to why I decided to fight her in the first place…

I wanted to see how far I had to go, and I hadn't gotten to fight her personally before she moved to attend Beacon.

But it seems my attention should have been on my own teammates since today in particular seems to be a bad day for Qrow's semblance.

Who was currently grumbling under his breath as she waited for Glynda to reply.

She looked ready to talk and did so.

"It's quite simple really…that 'accident' was preceded by a burst of aura, and I've felt such surges before an attack by the more _subtle_ semblance among my classmates." The twins nodded their heads in tentative understanding. She pouted to me, and I knew I was kind of fucked. "And Summer is capable of the same thing as well."

The twins turned their heads at the same time.

" _What?_ "

Well…at least I know they really are twins…

I laughed nervously, raising my hands up in defense of myself. "Uh…I didn't want to mention it?" I pursed my lips at the curious and wary emotions I could read in Raven's eyes. "Neither of you seemed comfortable with mentioning his semblance so…" I trailed off, chastising myself at my lack of confidence.

I'm their leader aren't I? It's my job to help them out if they're willing to let me help them.

"It's Misfortune…" My eyes widened as Qrow relented, and I schooled my expression into more serious(and sympathetic) semblance. I stepped out of the ring, waiting patiently for him to continue.

"…"

He sighed, his back leaning against the wall. "You know…most people get easy simple and _cool_ semblances. Sonic roars, kinetic shockwaves, or portals like my sister." The aforementioned Branwen scowled before turning away. "But me…" I could hear the sheer _bitterness_ in his tone. "My semblance tips the odds. Shifts probability in a negative direction. I can't turn it off, and it doesn't discriminate."

Yikes…he sounds kind of pissed…I could see why though. Life's given him a pretty shitty card, and it's not like it's going to get better if the timeline stays the same…

Which it won't…mainly because that timeline _kills_ me. And I like living very much.

I didn't come back from the dead only to die only a few scant decades latter. I'd preferably die of old age, instead of being murdered by either evil dark monsters, or some dumb magic cunt's henchmen.

"You don't seem very shocked or…afraid…"

It's not that complicated Qrow…

"Well one," I raised one finger. "I already kind of knew you had an odd semblance and two." I raised another finger "Your semblance would probably only be dangerous during a dangerous situation, else you'd be dead already. And it's going to have a range limit or else you'd use up your aura too quickly."

Qrow had the dumbest look on his face, like a little puppy.

"You don't…care." I shook my head, giving him an honest smile. I'm not to give up on him just because he has a semblance like that. I genuinely wanted to befriend him. Whether because of bias from _before_ or because he was my teammate it didn't matter.

"Nope!" He looked both surprised and relieved and I made me ask, how the hell did people back home treat him to where he disliked his semblance?

Or…did something happen in the past…?

"Perhaps you would like some privacy?" I gave my sister a thumbs up.

I promised to myself that I would do better…

* * *

"So why exactly were you so nervous about your semblance before?" Tai was the one to ask the question once we were alone.

Qrow clicked his tongue, looking rather adorably abashed.

"Besides the fact my semblance is danger to everyone around me?" His tone was dry, and I pinched the bridge of my nose. Thinking more deeply about it, I _should_ have confronted him about his power. Not knowing his semblance, Taiyang could get hurt or even killed in the worst case scenario.

"Probably still would have been a good idea to mention it…"

Stupid to think it couldn't be a threat…when used effectively it would be threat to our enemies instead, but it _can_ be a threat to us.

"What? Changed your mind bright eyes?"

I scoffed. "No. I was just thinking it was a mistake on my part not to say anything. Not knowing about your semblance could prove a potential danger to the dream. Someone could be hurt."

Qrow looked shocked. "Wait you're blaming yourself? But I was the one not telling the tr—." He cut himself off and I blinked at the turn around. Even his sister didn't expect the outburst.

I sighed.

"Well of course. I knew something was up and as team leader I should have done something about it. Fact is your semblance is perfectly usable, we just need to set up a team strategy that takes its area of effect into account."

"Oh." Again he looked surprised. I raised an eyebrow waiting for him to say something. He cleared his throat, and spoke. "Well…my semblance has a range of about…20…25 feet. So outside of that you guys should be safe."

"I think we can work that out. Maybe we can talk about this back in our room."

The twins nodded and I already knew Tai would follow along.

For once I think I was doing alright.

* * *

(Ozpin's POV)

I sipped my mug calmly as I watched my four students work out some of their smaller issues. I knew there was more to come however, including information even I knew little about.

Whatever it was I would be glad to have students with such potential attending my school.

Hopefully they would be able to deal with their problems without destroying themselves. And it does seem like my choice of team leader is going well so far.

I've made many mistakes and I don't want this team to be another.

Because those eyes…those eyes of her. The first time I met eyes with _her_ silver pools.

I saw a kindred spirit. A being who was older than they looked. And one hiding just as many secrets…

* * *

(My POV)

I adjusted my positioning, feeling discomfort around my chest area. I had woken up in the middle of the night after having another dream. I didn't gain as much information as usual, just some minor flashes. Whatever the reason I was thankful I was obtaining them. They would prove useful for the future…

As to that discomfort…

Wait…

 _Rustle…rustle…rustle._

Forgot to take off my bra…it's not exactly very comfortable for me. I hid the black garment away, flipping on my back to stare at the ceiling.

It's pretty quiet right now…outside of Tai's snoring anyway.

Nice and relaxing…cozy even with how warm it is in here. But not excessively so, just in that range where I want to snuggle into my sheets.

I had some more time to think now, the last few weeks had been a bit of whirlwind of getting used to being here. Though in many cases things I had been somewhat used to in my old life.

I was training to be a Huntress…it had sunk in to me now.

A slayer of monsters, a participant in a war that would never end. In an unforgiving world, a remnant of what once was. When magic we gift to all, and god's roamed the earth.

So why was becoming a Huntress?

Because I could…because I wanted to be strong enough to survive? My eyes and my heritage…they were both a danger to my life. If I was strong enough…I could at least keep myself alive to old age.

And maybe…another reason…was that I thought I could help people in some way…I wasn't the most emphatic at times…but that didn't mean I didn't care about people.

To die to Grimm…that is a _terrible_ way to go…a fate that no one deserves.

And I don't think I could live with letting that go.

Surprising really, that I had the willpower to do this and to commit to it…

But now I needed to make some plans…

I have about twenty six years before the OG series would have started…in that timeline, I die, Tai falls apart, Raven runs away, and Ozpin drops the ball leading to the destruction of Beacon, and the death of thousands, or even tens of thousands of innocent people.

Things are already changing at a rapid pace…the CCT network is no longer a viable target, since the satellite network above is protected from the Grimm and can penetrate through weather with ease.

Technology is advancing at a far more rapid pace than I once expected…canon did have spaceships and railguns weren't a thing either.

Probably…

Honestly the only thing I can think of…since most of that stuff is pretty far off is to look for any of the canon villains who should still be pretty young, heck Cinder's probably still a baby or not even born at this point.

The modern White Fang might not even exist with his things are getting better. In fact there's been a sizable improvement as Menagerie has become a capital of genetic engineering and climate engineering projects. The relative lack of Grimm has provided them with a safety net, and there's a continuous boom in the economy and the population.

Heck there are whispers of Menagerie becoming true fifth Kingdom, a burgeoning super power. And if the faunus aren't being oppressed and trodden down, we won't have McEdge Lord Taurus cutting people's arms off.

So one less group of assholes to use as tools and puppets for Salem's bitching…

And another thing…both Salem and Ozpin are morons too petty to set aside their differences…admittingly at this point it would be best to either imprison her in a vault forever, or talk no jutsu her back into a sane person.

Wonder if silver eyes would work…not that I'm going to test that theory.

Whatever happens in the future…I wish I get to retire on a nice old farm or something…but…like in space or something. There's got to be planet or two we can colonize out there in the universe.

And a tiny childish part of me wants to be a space captain wandering across the endless sea of stars and void.

Traveling across the universe…to boldly go where no man has gone before…

Someday…but not today…

"Mmm…" I froze as I heard a rustling to my left on the Branwen twins side of the room.

I hoped she wasn't going to—

"Youuu…whyyyy…are you awake?" I held back a squeal at a sleepy Raven. I peeked out from under my sheet, meeting eyes with her half lidded scarlet orbs.

"I…couldn't sleep. Just a weird dream, that's all." She smiled dopily, nodding off within a matter of minutes.

Perhaps it would be best to fall asleep. We do have class tomorrow…

I just…hope…I can…

 _Zzzzz._

 _Zzzzz._

 _Zzzzzz…_

* * *

 **Author's Note:**

So uh I've established in both my mind and on paper the general storyline and structure. Think of it like a less compressed and more serious volume 1 and 2. I want to establish the characters and their relationships more than that. A little more slice of life, as well as more emphasis on the world too.

So yeah…that's it.


	16. Year One Arc: Chapter 12

**Author's Note:**

Sorry for the delay I had been having trouble with this chapter so...yeah. Next chapter should be out next week but there's no guarantee. Thank you for the reviews and follows.

So see ya...

* * *

 **Chapter Twelve: Team Bonding**

"Hello team Sauerkraut! Welcome to our team bonding time!" I did a heroic pose, my cloak fluttering in my alchemically generated wind. A tiny array glowing faintly behind me.

As to why I was so energetic?

Raven and Qrow were driving me nuts! We had been doing well for a while until they started entering into a routine of sibling squabbling. Constant bickering and insults between the two and I had even ended with a bed destroyed.

My bed…

I had gotten sick of it and needed to end this…

My bed…as well as a close call with my Grimm book…painstakingly detailed and drawn, new entries added as frequently as possible…

My bed and my book…

 _Vengeance will be mine._

I returned to the present as I heard Raven's voice.

"I wouldn't call lazing about in our room, and playing video games a 'team bonding' exercise." Raven replied in a mocking tone…some more of her…Raveness coming out. Probably from the fight about who would get which scroll.

"Then you're wrong." She frowned, and I gave her a playful shrug. "It's important to get to know each other better so we can work together as a team. After this we'll spar with one another, so there's that to look forward to."

 _Especially for me…_

Raven accepted my answer, crossing her arms over her chest as we connected to the small holographic television I had brought in. I stuck out my tongue as I figured out the settings, as well as choosing the game I wanted everyone to play.

For the day I had dressed down, going for a red tank top and grey sweatpants, as well as no socks. My little piggies would be free while we had a lazy…hour?

"So…uh how do you play? We never really played games back…home." Qrow seemed open minded to the idea, and I gave him a smile in response. He grumbled, and I hid a grin at the blush on his face.

"It's not too difficult, the game will give you the instructions but I can give you the specifics if necessary." I hummed happily as I heard the Smash Ultimate opening, the game coming out only a week ago. "Now come here…" the newer half of our team blinked at my request and I suppressed the pout making its way through my system.

"Excuse me?" Raven was the first to question my statement. While Tai was the first to move over, sitting on my left.

"Part of the experience is sitting up close with your friends. Or acquaintances I suppose." I shrugged my shoulders, fiddling with my scroll and placing myself as player one.

"Hmm…if you are certain." I gave her an encouraging smile, and she moved over, taking the room to my right while her brother sat leftward of Taiyang.

This should be…go well…

Nothing should go wrong with a game of Smash…

* * *

"Ahh you bitch!"

 _CRASH!_

"Says the guy wearing more jewelry than his _sister_ and _team leader._ " Qrow growled and both siblings seemed ready to come to blows…

"This escalated… _quickly_ huh Summer?" I nodded almost fearfully to Taiyang's as the two twins were edging toward combat.

Things had been going well for some time…until the apparent competitive streak shared between the two of them burst to life. They gradually grew more and more heated with each match until…

Well…I could give them the stick…but I don't think it was necessary.

I braced myself for my launch…with Taiyang giving me a skeptical look.

"You're sure _glomping_ them will do anything?" I shrugged.

"It'll work…"

"ALLEY OOP!"

 _CRASH!_

Both brunettes yelped as they were hit with all of my weight, collapsing against the bed. I flipped in midair, placing an arm on each of their shoulders.

"What the fuck?!" Qrow cursed out and I swear Raven did the same though I couldn't make it out. I pulled them in even closer and a spike of joy flared out as I picked up their flustered heartbeats.

"No physical fighting in our room my bird themed friends. Only hugs!" They tried and failed to squirm out of my strong grip, my hands tightening against their shoulders.

"Let us go…" Raven's tone was oddly resigned and I suspected she knew how stubborn I was. Didn't stop her squirming though…

" _Nope._ Come on Tai, group hug!" The blonde seem hesitant, likely from the death glare the twins were giving him…

Frankly…it didn't compare to what I would do to him if he ignored me…So when my eye twitched…I suddenly had another person to add to our hug…

Raven sighed. "I still have no idea what you're really like…it's confusing." She used few words but I understood what she meant.

"I'm not that complicated Raven…I'm a…rather simple person really. Being _adverse_ to people doesn't mean I _dislike_ physical contact. And I'm fine with _small_ groups…like ten I guess?"

"That's…fair I suppose."

I snorted, now deciding my next action as team leader…

* * *

"Oh!" I blushed when I almost bumped into a certain female teacher of mine… The light bluish tint was the first clue to who I had bumped into…the skintight outfit was the other…

"Summer?" She was among the most informal of the teachers despite her vast intellect. "What are you in such a rush for?" And I had to occasionally bite a retort back at her almost sarcastic tone of voice. It was certainly just how she naturally spoke, and nothing more.

"Professor?" I blinked before reacting to her question. "Oh I'm just getting some supplies for a little…picnic I'm setting up with my team."

My rescue crossed her arms, raising an amused eyebrow. "Trying some team bonding I suppose?" I nodded, holding back a need to bounce between each foot.

"Yep! It's been working well enough. Hopefully…" Professor Turquoise quirked an eyebrow, an inquisitive look on her face.

"Hmm?" I sighed, brushing my messy bangs from my face.

"Sorry it's just that two of my teammates got into a _little_ scuffle."

"The Branwens correct?" I perked up, surprised that she she picked that up.

"How did you know?"

She smiled knowingly and I felt the urge to squirm under her scrutiny…more so when her aura _pulsed._ Just for the record I _didn't_ squeak at the enormous reserves…of flowing _power_ emitted from her body.

"Well I have a feeling they've had a rather rough life that has affected the way they react to things. And not necessarily for the better…"

"Maybe a bit…" I replied dryly, images of the last few weeks coming back.

While she had been largely willing to listen to me. There was a simmering feeling that I could easily read from the girl, despite her coldness. Likely because I was much the same in some ways. Eventually I would make a mistake in some form and she would likely…

Huh…I don't know exactly what she would do. Question me, question my authority perhaps? Who could say really, but I wanted to prove myself. If not to her, to myself.

"You're really worried about this aren't you?" I nodded absently. I flinched at the clap, wincing at the strength behind her light affectionate hit. "Well I shouldn't be holding you."

"It's fine Miss Turquoise." I waved her off, and she pouted in response. I ignored the warm feeling in my chest and stomach as she _bounced_ , a certain part of her anatomy following behind.

"Please outside of class I have no issue with students calling me Cortana."

I blinked…

Again this explains much about the teachers…

"O-Ok…" I smiled back, and she walked off muttering some words under her breath.

"I wonder where the big guy is? Last I heard he was training recruits in Atlas, wants some new…sp—err sparring partners…" she walked off faster, that slip creating more questions than it solved.

I wondered if I was the only soul to cross the endless void between worlds, and what did that mean for us? It's…probably nothing…at least for now anyway.

I had a friendship picnic to get to.

* * *

(Qrow's POV)

This…is actually kinda nice.

Rosebud here seems to be doing well in keeping me and Rae from tearing each other's throats. But it's pretty hard to argue against her with a face like that…

"So we're really having a picnic in the park?" I asked her warily. She nodded while her cheeks were puffed full of food. Made her look like a cloaked chipmunk. Apparently Summer had gone out of her way to make us something…

Mainly sandwiches but still…a nice gesture. Getting a good sandwich isn't the easiest thing out in the Wilds…

"So this is nice huh?" Summer spoke up out of nowhere, just people watching. For once Rae and I had to agree. There was something just peaceful and pristine about this place.

"You didn't say that the first time we dragged you off to sightsee." Summer sulked, a deep flesh building from her neck to her ears. "Guess you appreciate the smaller things in life now." A small smile made its way onto her face, again her expression was utterly serene.

"Yeah…it's a beautiful day outside. Birds are singing. Flowers are blooming. On days like this…people like us," There was mirth dancing in her eyes and I was kinda curious on what she thought was so funny. She took a deep breath and I waited with bated breath. "Should be having fun."

…

Guess it was nothing. Or it was some inside joke I didn't get. Neither did Sunshine in the back if his weird puppy dog eyes of confusion were any hint.

"I suppose it is better than me beating the crap out of Qrow." Raven shrugged, and I did my best to not take the bait. I had a feeling Summer wouldn't like that, and that my neck was on the line.

"We'll get to that…well not not that exactly…in a moment," Rosebud paused taking a bite out of a turkey ham sandwich, leaving some crumbs on the grass. "But honestly it _really_ is a lovely day out. We can relax some more, and get a bite to eat before my next step."

"Punching Qrow in the face?" My eyebrow twitched…

"Possibly…though it might also involve a railgun to the crotch." Summer answered back with a casual tone and I felt my soul leave my body.

She's…more like Raven than she lets on huh? Which means I'm going to die here…

"I wonder if I should try cutting Raven's hair off?" Summer inspected her fingernail, and I heard Raven _growl._

"You will do no such thing you little bitch!" Raven had swooped in, rage fueling her to lift her leader into the air, gripping onto the collar of her shirt. The whole time little Summer was smiling.

"You really shouldn't be so protective of your hair it's a possible weakness…" Raven flushed and she dropped the cloaked women.

"I'll be strong enough so that doesn't happen. The strong survive…that's always how it's been." Summer tilted her head, and I felt a headache come on.

I thought she'd be the voice of reason here…but then again _I'm_ on this team.

Not the greatest luck there…

"Strong in what way?" Kinda had the same question myself…

"Capable of defeating any foe in combat…able to lead a team."

"Eh?"

Summer please shut up…

"But that's a pretty poor way to define "strong…"

Did she just use air quotes?

Raven crossed her arms and I waited to step in. Didn't want a cat fight to break out.

Or did I?

"Well…I suspect you consider most of the people of Vale weak then." Rae nodded, a hint of disdain on her face. Summer _really_ had to be thankful that my sister wasn't as bad as she could have been. The team wouldn't have lasted more than a week. Summer cleared her throat and I focused. "But does that really matter in the end? The might of Vale, the might of Atlas and the other kingdoms isn't quite in the individual. It's in the collective organic machine of millions working together."

"Don't start saying politicians are a new necessity too…" Raven seemed willing to listen.

"They are…that's like saying you don't need doctors, engineers, or plumbers." One is not like the other. "Specialization is important to keep civilization running in whatever factor needed. Politicians and bureaucrats keep the government running _relatively_ functional. Police and military keep public order and enforce the law…every blacksmith, every unnamed engineer and inventor keeps us going. We Huntsmen provide both hope and a sense of safety for the population."

"And what exactly is your lesson in this?" Raven had relaxed her shoulders, leaning in on Summer.

"There's no need to enforce whatever your weird dominance games are…" I felt a blush and _saw_ the blush on my sister at the scolding tone our glorious leader was giving us.

"It's how we've always done things." Raven didn't seem to understand, probably used to it. "There's no need to…to…" she trailed off, and I paled at the faint smile on Rosebud's face.

"There really is a need to clean up your act. I can accept some differences and fights. But two weeks of this tends to great on my _patience._ And I have developed an intensive knowledge of various toxins over the years. Many made with common kitchen ingredients." She said it all with a _damn_ smile on her face!

…

I was eating a sandwich and drinking a freshly squeezed orange juice she had made…

"That is p-perfectly fair team leader. There will be no further altercations."

I couldn't believe my eyes…and I should probably pretend I wasn't looking at that she-devil in disguise. I couldn't take any chances with my luck.

I leaned in to whisper to Tai. "Has she always been like this?" The blonde shrugged.

"Kinda? Sums always had a temper, as well as being scary at times but you have Jayleen to really thank. She always liked pushing Summer to the point she's…well this."

Shit.

"It can't get worse right?" Oh gods I shouldn't have said that.

Tai leaned in with a conspiratorial grin. "She's an angry drunk." The whisper was heard like whip crack.

"H-How bad was it?"

"She blew up an old Bullhead…"

…

Mercy…I think I need a drink.

* * *

(My POV)

"So this sparring isn't really for our benefit then…" I felt an odd satisfaction in how nervous Raven sounded while we got ready. She seemed to have been caught off guard by the manner in how I acted. I was different than what she had been expecting. She didn't seem to hate that fact however…

"It is actually…I want a better idea of what you're capable of. I've only been matched up with Taiyang, and my match with Qrow was…interrupted." I grinned at Qrow's sheepish expression. Unfortunately the roof had collapsed, ending the matches for that day…

We had gotten permission from our former combat teacher, a certain Avery Jonquil, to use one of the functioning combat rooms. It was large enough to keep Qrow at a distance so his semblance couldn't influence the match.

Anyway, Avery was a former Atlas soldier, he had apparently developed a working relationship with a younger Ozpin and was his Deputy in the same capacity as Glynda would be one day. He was pretty strong if I was picking up on his aura reserves correctly too.

But to be honest I still don't know much about him besides what I've already mentioned. He's rather secretive about his past…it makes me…curious on why.

But…we have more to do than just that…

I tapped my armor, checking for any chips or signs of damage. One of the plates might need…some maintenance? I'll have to check later, and it'd likely only be a minor washing for now.

Cloak is good…so are the gloves, now modified to light gauntlets…Gungnir is in prime condition, it's blades are sharp and combat ready.

More than enough ammo blocks…so I'm ready…

"To 15% right?" I nodded at Raven's question as her hand dropped to her side. I lifted my weapon into position, my hand naturally finding the appropriate grip. She grit her teeth, and I smiled widely.

I felt excitement course through my body, and Raven suddenly flew at me silently. Her blade slicing through the air with a flare of hot fire. I lashed out with with a sudden conjuration of freezing cold and Dust summoned water.

 _BOOM!_

Steam explosion…

I knocked her sword off course with a twitch of my wrist.

Three arrays surrounded her, detonating with a supersonic explosions and knocking her back.

"I'm…faster than you." I rolled my eyes, a continual smirk on my face as my blood started pumping.

I parried three incoming attacks, barely keeping up with her incredible speed.

She aimed a quick strike toward my midsection and I stepped back and with a shout I _fired._

 _BOOM!_

Raven staggered back as more than tenth of her aura was burned through with a single aura enhanced shot, but recovered quickly. She dashed toward me, and I could tell she wanted to keep close. My inferior close combat skills were a weakness to exploit.

I wasn't going to give her the chance…

Another explosion rang out and she ducked instinctively, only to find I had thrown myself out of her reach with a propulsive shot.

"Heh…I'm not going to give you a chance of getting close." Her grip on her sword tightened and she sliced through the air, the steel blade tinting yellow.

Oh…

I created a chunk of conductive metal, forming it from the polished stone ground. It acted like a lightning rod, absorbing the lightning wave beam. Raven frowned , and with a click of my metal boot, the ground lifted up in a shaking wave of rock and stone. I didn't move an inch as literal rock fists pummeled the twin's aura.

"The hell? She never tried this with the other students…" I could hear the astonishment in Qrow's voice.

Raven clicked her tongue, a feral smile giving quite a picture. "You've been holding back haven't you?"

I shrugged. "My semblance is rather powerful…and I prefer to keep people in the dark about it." She nodded politely before leaping forward, her sword dropping down in an icy arc.

I stepped forward, directing fire and heat to keep the freezing cold at bay. Gungnir's spearhead stabbed into her stomach, her aura shimmering as it held the piercing weapon back.

"Guess I _pierced_ my way into your heart eh?" She twitched and I hopped back, ducking under sword unleashed firestorm. Then Raven preceded to launch an aura infused kick into my gut…

 _Shit!_

Two hard strikes cut into my aura and I hissed at the drop…

Ok…think…Raven is fast in both attacking and responding to an attack. Her semblance may or not be useful in this situation. She's one to stay calm and steady…so I…

 _I have to provoke her…_

"There's no need to be so angry Rae…there's nothing wrong with not making the _cut._ " Her lip twitched momentarily.

 _SHINK!_

Step left.

Thrust.

Hop back. Parry. Thrust.

 _Fire…_

A bullet grazed her shoulder and she hissed as another chunk of aura was lost.

Fortunately for me my weapon burns though aura rather rapidly. At our current level it takes five to ten hits to bring down ones aura. Maybe double to triple that among real Huntsmen.

Then again…they're much faster than I am, and could probably narrowly avoid one or two. They'd have to aim dodge instead however…

I leaned back avoiding a lightning slash. "Then again you are a _cut_ above the rest in comparison. You're the _sharpest_ knife in the drawer." She twitched again, the following strike missing narrowly.

"Shut up…" She growled and a wave of lightning covered the battlefield. My nerves crackled with the energy, and Raven narrowed the distance striking a clean cut across my stomach. I obscured her vision with another propulsive shot, my boots finding some purchase on the wall as I cracked it with the impact. I flipped the weapon, and projected my aura through it for an even more powerful shot.

I crossed the fifteen meter distance in less than a tenth of a second.

 _BOOM._

 _BOOM!_

I checked her aura feeling proud of how much I had brought down in our bout…

 _Raven Branwen Aura 48%_

"Heh…guess I—."

I took another kick to the gut, and a blade to the face. Raven was _pissed,_ her eyes blazing a deeper scarlet. Her aura projected itself into her blades built in resolver…and—

I cried out as a multicolored stream of elemental energy pressed against my aura.

Three explosions followed one after another, each taking a larger and larger percentage of my shield. I scrambled to dodge or divert her slashes, but I winced as the steel sliced across my aura. More than two dozen full power blows struck their mark, my armor reducing the damage by the smallest amounts.

Her blade came down again, this time with the almighty strength of a god…

It felt like I had been crushed under a building…and I hissed at the color of Gravity dust. I lashed out with an aura blast and she jumped back…

I steadied my stance, feeling a growl rise up in my throat…carefully monitoring my aura…

 _Summer Rose 49.6%_

It's a real good thing I have a crazy amount of aura. Most others in our age group would have been dropped to near zero or zero at this point.

Actually…now that I'm thinking about it. I think we've done roughly the same ratio of damage to our aura. But I'll be honest if it wasn't for my reserves I would have certainly lost this match.

Interesting…

But…I want to win this…

Now how about a little…extra…fire huh?

From my spear…a flame filled compression wave flew toward Raven and she took the blunt force of a fuel-air bomb right to the face. All I could see before she was engulfed in the flames was a red flash of light…

I frowned as a red and orange light blinded me…I turned to face it and…

A startled Qrow ducked as a portal spewed rock melting flames flew right…

Towards me…

 _OH SHIT!_

I was thrust against the wall, hitting my head on a busted up section and blacking out…

* * *

"Oh my head…?" I looked around, letting out a sigh of relief when I found I wasn't in a hospital of any kind. I was just placed haphazardly next to the entrance so my head would lie on the wall to its left.

My aura must have dropped pretty low to have momentarily blacked out…though it was really more a lapse of thought.

Maybe I got a _little_ too into it? It honestly it was kinda fun to fight all out like that. I think I'll keep setting these up when we have the opportunity. Raven's combat skills are impeccable.

"Oh you're up?" Raven sounded positively _smug_ while she spoke up. The girl was leaning against the wall, smiling visibly. "I thought our _leader_ would have lasted longer." I ignored how crossing her arms did… _wonderful_ things to that bountiful chest of hers.

"I counted about three minutes before we ended our match in a fiery explosion. Neat trick redirecting the blast using your semblance. Gives me some ideas on how we can use it." She blinked at my happy tone, likely thinking I would be frustrated. Thankfully I had learned to let those kinds of things go over the years…

Mostly…

Now back to using her portals as a weapon…

Now Qrow is the only one she can portal to that I know of…and it could work. His semblance prevents closeness with his teammates anyway so…

If I'm out of range for an explosion or I can't aim accurately. I can direct my attack toward and through a portal while Qrow harasses a Grimm. We'll warn him and then he'll back the hell away, so my explosions can do their job.

Though maybe he should message us first so we don't blow him up by mistake…

"Ahem? Are you done geeking out?" I blinked, knocking myself out of my internal rant. Raven had I crossed my arms, giving me an amused look.

…

Did I say that aloud.

"Yes you did." My cheeks heated up, and I lifted my hood over my face, hiding myself and internally screaming.

Oh god that's so embarrassing…!

I just…and she just…

Is she smiling?

Oh she is smiling…

 _Wow_ she looks really nice when she's smiling.

"You know…" I twirled my hair, bouncing in place as an influx of giddiness made my stomach jump up. "You have a really _pretty_ smile." Her ears turned red, and disappointment struck me as she scowled.

 _Well…still cute._

Qrow was giving me a look, as was Taiyang if of a distinct variety.

Wondered what that look was for…it was hard to tell.

"So…anywho, the winner?" She pointed to the aura monitor and I pouted.

 _Raven Branwen 2%_

 _Summer Rose 1.9%_

I really hate that this has happened at least thrice. First with Jayleen, another time with Umber and then… _Raven._

"Hehehe…err." I stopped everything I was doing to stare at Raven, clearing out my ears to make sure I had heard the brunette bombshell correctly.

Did she really laugh? She did didn't she?!

Oh my god her laugh is cute too!

She strutted away, and I watched her go by. Her posture was stiff and her gauntleted hands bunched up into fists as she stepped out of the room.

She's a bit Tsun isn't she?

"You know she did show some worry when you didn't wake up immediately." I felt my grin drop at Qrow's admission. The discomfort on his face was obvious. "But this match did help her with her…frustrations."

I needed to know. "Why have you two been at each other's throats for the last two weeks?" The usually confident and occasionally dashing rogue sagged, an air of depression around him.

"Well we've learned some…bad news from home that's put us on edge. It's made us…kind of moody I'll admit." He brushed his hair back, staring down at his sword.

Something to do with the Branwen?

Wonder what the hell could put them so on edge? Though I suspect that I wouldn't like the answer they could give me.

"Should…should I go talk to her. I know neither of you will tell me what _exactly_ is bothering you. But it wouldn't hurt to vent." He nodded and I stepped away from him. He waved lazily, a smirk as he took a step toward Tai.

"If you need me I'll be pummeling Sunshine into the ground."

"Doubt it. When you get back Sums get me a drink will ya. And an ice pack for our bad luck charm."

"Why you—."

"KAY!" The door closed behind me, cutting off any reply.

Raven hadn't gone far, her temper burning out at the entrance. She had turned to face me, her eyes unwilling to look into my own.

"So you got that out of your system Rae?" She shrugged, her long hair pushed back by the small movement.

"For now…I would hope anyway."

…

"So you're having some home trouble?"

She narrowed her eyes. "Did my brother tell you?"

"So what if he did?" She scoffed before her glare softened, and for a moment she was the vulnerable teenager she was, instead of the hardened bandit she was turning into.

"I suppose it's not my business who Qrow confides in."

"Actually I think Qrow wants you to confide in me instead." She scowled again, but her eyes showed a different story. Almost…like she wanted to…

"How can I trust someone who keeps just as many secrets." I didn't feel angry at her accusation. I didn't have a leg to stand on in that regard.

"I could say the same." She flinched, but immediately steeled her expression. "And you're right…I have things I've told no one. Not even my closest friends…but it doesn't mean I don't want to tell them. Just haven't found the right time."

"How long do you plan to hide your lies?" I shrugged.

"When you're willing to talk about yours I suppose." Her eyes hardened and I gave her an understanding smile. "Whatever you're hiding…even I can see it hurts you. It's never been a good thing to hide secrets. It tends to…" I gripped my arm, flashing back to my moments of guilt. Thinking about what I knew, and how little I had really used it. "To eat you up inside."

"Maybe…maybe…" her eyes darted back and forth as if scouting for passerby's. "Mmm…promise me, if I…ever decide to tell you the truth. Will you tell me _your_ secret. Equivalent exchange and all."

Heh, doesn't even notice an alchemy joke however unintentional.

"Do you also promise?" She nodded and we simultaneously did so. I smiled up at her, pointing my thumb behind me. "Hey maybe we can go out for lunch as a team once the boys finish up?"

She grinned, her face beautifully lighting up with the unconscious action.

* * *

(Raven's POV)

I had a truly strange women for a team leader. Despite her abrasiveness she was kind when she wanted to be. Accepting that I was lying to her face, yet willing to say nothing and to not hold it against me.

I didn't understand why. But clearly her mother had raised her well enough. And despite her words she would almost certainly retain some frankly necessary caution. That Huntress was a good parent…

Yes, I remembered that Huntress from a few years back. I remembered the same white cloaked girl, tripped up by my dear brother's semblance.

Who would have thought we would meet again after so many years?

Perhaps it was meant to be this way? A girl holding so many secrets…yet I promised I would tell her the truth. And I honestly was going to keep it.

She was trustworthy in that manner at least.

…

I'm a truly troublesome partner aren't I? I doubt the team her _other_ friends are on have the same difficulties.

Probably…

* * *

(Jayleen's POV)

I wonder if Summer is facing the same difficulties with her own teammates? I don't think she's had the _pleasure_ of being partnered with a social ignoramus.

Not that Penny was a bad person…just an oddball of a girl. Hard to flirt with cute boys and girls when you have a person like her attached to the hip.

But I suppose there was little to do other than keep her from being tricked.

"You say…you want me to join you in your room for a 'good time' as you say?" I palmed my face as Penny humored the lecherous student.

I didn't bother to remember him, because he was a bit of a creep and really average in every meaning of the word. His hair and eyes were both dark brown and his outfit was lackluster and boring. All poorly fitting greys and yellows…at least Summer tried to look good sometimes. Even if I can never convince her to try pink…then again white and black _is_ her color.

"Hey yeah…I think the two of us can make sweet music together." The orange haired girl tilted her head and I snickered when she pulled out a fucking triangle!

She lightly tapped the triangle, making a sweet metallic tone. She looked confused, her big eyes filling with confusion. "Where is your instrument, incredibly odorous friend." I snorted as I realized she had insulted him.

For once I can't tell if this was intentional or not…snark isn't a common thing from her.

"I…what?" The poor bastard was utterly confused and I found it _hilarious._

"Oh you must not be ready then? Perhaps in a few months when you purchase an instrument?" I took that opportunity to drag my partner away. With our classmate having the same expression of confusion on his face.

"Stop consorting with perverts partner." She mechanically tilted her head.

"Oh…he was referring to intercourse then?" I palmed my face again, though this time I was given the treat of a grimacing Penny. "It's a lovely offer and all…but I find that I consider him… _unattractive._ "

Wow…what's his name must be really repulsive to send a girl as robotic as Penny running.

"Hey…oww…let go…you…stupid racist…" I felt white hot rage burn through my body, and Penny's perpetual smile had turned into a frown. Her eyes shifted between various unclear emotions as we stepped onto the scene.

There I could see Umber trying to squirm out of the grip of two other students. Some jackass and his bitchy girlfriend if the way they were looking at each was any indication.

"Why do I feel a certain urge to throttle those two…companions of Umber?" A mix of oddly combined anger and confusion altered Penny's tone.

"They're not friends!" I growled in reply, my eyes twitching and my semblance acting up, several barriers forming and breaking under my will.

"Let go you little—GAHH!" Umber crier out as the guy pulled even harder. I could hear the strain they were putting on her poor ears…

"HEY! What the hell are you doing." Both of the students expressions shifted into an ugly, _disgusting_ look.

The guy spoke up. "Just showing this _animal_ her place. Right honey." I scoffed at the giggle his…girl gave him.

"Yep…" she replied with a Valean country drawl and my nose curled. My hand had curled up into fists and I was rather to bash their skulls in.

The guy grinned. "Hey…want to join in? It'll be fun."

…

I'm going to—

"Friend?" The two students sounded confused as Penny ignored them, meeting eyes with Umber. "Are these two _bothering_ you?" She nodded and her two harassers sneered once they got the whole picture.

"Are you _serious?_ You two are animal lovers?" Penny smiled politely and I felt shivers run down my spine, it quickly vanished under unyielding rage as he _squeezed_ Umber's ears.

"Indeed…and I recommend you let go of her ear. It's hurting her." He squeezed harder…

"That's the point you animal loving _bitch._ "

Neither of them saw it coming…

 _SMASH!_

The two Huntsmen students choked on their spit, as Penny's hands wrapped around their throats. Their aura was the only thing keeping their throats from collapsing in on themselves.

"How…the f-fuck?!" I managed to make out his strained words as he tried and failed to wiggle out of his attacker's hold. He froze as a sword met with his back, and Penny's smile dropped for a second time.

"I suppose your parents never taught you the golden rule like mine did…how sad." Penny started spinning…and spinning, and spinning until…

They were thrown out of sight, screaming all the while like a bunch of scared little shits. Penny froze, her fists loosening up and dropping to her sides. She didn't seem to know what to do.

"Uh you okay partner?" She shrugged, emulating the action with ease.

"I…seem to…have lost my temper a bit. My apologies…" I shook my head and she looked utterly befuddled.

"Nah don't apologize, those guys had that coming. They were hurting our teammate." Her eyes widened and like clockwork she honed in on a wincing Umber.

"Ah friend…you're hurt aren't you? I can take you to the nearest nurses office if you need it?" She nodded, and I stepped to her side. She wobbled and I frowned at the bruises building up.

"What the hell? What did they do?"

Umber groaned. "They caught me after a training session against some robots. My aura had been drained pretty low so…"

Cowards…those damn _cowards._

"It is…reprehensible to do such a thing…I don't understand why."

Umber's look darkened. "It's because I'm a Faunus. They think just because I'm different, that they can push me around."

Penny shook her head, her hands curling in and out. "I can't understand such a thing. My mother…is a Faunus herself. An important researcher in her field…she wouldn't deserve such a treatment. _No one_ does."

"Cus you're a good person with your head on straight." She analyzed me, and I smiled back. She had done what I couldn't and taken the heat off of Umber.

"T-Thank you?" She sounded nervous, and I ruffled Penny's hair. Her face heated up, yet there was little indication of a blush.

"Yeah…" I tilted my head, realizing those poor bastards were screwed once I told Summer. And I was _going_ to tell her, no but's about it. She got pretty vindictive and her alchemy tended to exacerbate that tendency.

"Summer's going to kill them and I think I'm okay with that." Umber said what we were all thinking. Even Penny has figured this out from Sums…she wasn't exactly one for hiding her personality.

"What about friend Cassin?"

Oh…wow…they'll be dead within a week…

"Didn't we have something to do?" I asked, my mind coming to a blank.

"I believe we were going to meet up in the library to study for an assignment."

Thanks Penny.

Guess we gotta get going.

* * *

(Kitsune's POV)

"Okay then…had to make some adjustments to our vessels material. Turns out carbon fiber is hard to use for a spaceship. Extreme temperature ranges lessen its usefulness. And aura alloys are mostly metal anyhow. And with the Barrier Dust modules spread evenly it can take a lesser Nevermore collision with minimal effort." I dutifully and excitedly explained to the Bureaucrat put in charge of our project. Despite my usual animosity toward them, this one had a strong passion toward spaceflight. He always gave us the appropriate amount of budget required. Within several years we had our ships…

Soon they were going to be sent into mass production, by several differing corporations(mildly annoying but…)

While they required liquid methane and oxygen as fuel, there was some Dust powered tech. Unfortunately we couldn't quite get aural and Dust creation technology on the scale of mass production needed. So the first one hundred vessels would be limited in that regard.

But it would be enough…we had already constructed the satellite network, thousands of of them connected to form an uninterruptible connection…no more could the Grimm cut us off. No more would information take weeks or months to reach out into the boonies and isolated villages.

No more…would we be limited to the bounds of this planet, trapped on this world of endless nightmares.

This project could change everything…and I had already designed the next generation of space vessels. These initial ships were a stopgap…they would be our experiments, a path to the stars…

I opened up the file…one of many backups I had created…just in case.

Based on our modern military airships…but designed for space travel. Though in design they resembled our current spacecraft more closely. Lifted up by Gravity Dust and propelled by Energy Dust combusted with aura in a reaction chamber.

It would be the project that would take all our developed technology into one grand machine…not just in Dust and aural physics but in our newfound nuclear physics. A large nuclear fusion reactor would power electrical systems, as well as generate our harvested supply of aura. They would provide power for the necessary greenhouse. Special machines would extract ambient aura, creating a field to allow for limited Dust use as well as focusing it into the rocket chamber.

Something truly beautiful…

"Honey? You're drooling again." I froze up, blushing when my husband pointed it out. I rubbed the drool away using my sleeves, feeling a little…

Embarrassed…

"S-Shut up!" I turned off the screen…leaving it be for now.

"We need to get to the next door department. Some of our colleagues are having trouble with the test stand…"

"Right…that would be for the best…" I stopped for a moment…swearing I had heard a feminine breath.

…

…

I think it's nothing…I'll have to tell the Security department…but I might just be paranoid.

So let's step away for now…

* * *

(Spring POV)

I kept hidden from sight as the two Atlas scientists stepped out of the room, leaving me alone. I glanced at the computer screens…but left them alone for now.

This was mainly a test of skills for future missions by my "employers." They had plans and machinations for this place and unfortunately that Faunus women was unlikely to survive.

Same for my tribe…

I was no fool…but the power radiating form that knight. I might be more than strong enough to take him…but could the rest of my tribe do the same? The rest had nowhere near the same level of strength. They wouldn't live through the battle…

I sighed at the message buzzing in my specially made Scroll.

I suppose I should come back then…

* * *

I lifted up _another_ scroll as I dashed through the blizzard…the cold not having much of an effect on me.

"Spring? We've got our preparations ready…the youngest and weakest of us are leaving for greener pastures. Are you sure you can't come with…?" The voice on the other line sounded weak and I held back a sigh.

"Those… _people_ need me in their plan. It's a miracle they haven't figured out _what_ I am." I scratched the back of my neck, thinking deeply of our little situation. "How are you anyway? Is the baby ok?"

There was a pause and I waited impatiently.

"She's fine…little Vernal should be out in about…eight months?"

"How do you know she'll be a girl?"

"You just know these things…"

Right…she's always been a bit of an oddball. But she was really the heart of the tribe. As much as a tribe of ravenous bandits can have a heart. But there was another question I had that I felt had importance.

"And my sister?"

"She's with us. Now only the stronger members are left, ignoring the twins. Are they a part of the contingency plan?"

I nodded to thin air, my hand clenching against my scroll at the light of stealthy Bullhead. They still couldn't see me, due both to my semblance as well as the intense blizzard.

"Yes…they'll take over…they're the only ones strong enough once this goes down."

"Do you really think they'll come back? Don't forget what we are…you see the spark in them, that part of them that makes them different than us…"

I scowled at the fact she was right…but then again…

"It's the fact our tribe is the way it is that made us useful pawns for them. And even if they lose their attachment to our way, they will likely protect those left. The both of them are loyal that way…"

"P-Perhaps that is so…"

"Yeah…"

"Just keep yourself safe ok?"

"I'll try my best." I hung up, hiding the scroll away. From up above, I could see the shadowy knight looking right at me, but only once I had dropped my semblance. I found a sigh of relief in that…

" **You are a sneaky one are you not?** " I shivered at the inhuman and robotic tone coming out of the automaton like knight. " **You have done well…my Queen will be pleased. But next time…obtain data of actual note.** " I rolled my eyes.

"Don't get your metal panties in a bunch." He growled and I suppressed the power within me from lashing out.

" **Fine…But I hope you are not this…difficult when your services will be needed.** "

"It'll be fine…I promise you that big guy." The shuttle door shut behind me, sealing the freezing cold behind them.

"I'm sure…the _lady_ will do fine…despite being the supreme bitch of a pile of degenerates." I narrowed my eyes at the shadowy figure sitting on the bench of the lesser airship. I recognized him…or her? The voice makes it hard to tell…

The leader of the Red Hand…? None of us know their true name…the only thing we know is that their an elite Huntsmen class fighter. In their reign, many Faunus Hunters and White Fang fighters had fallen to his deadly blade.

How many had he killed…the last count was at a hundred faunus, and double that great number including their human team members.

Even by my standards he was a monster…and don't get me started on the Faunus slave smuggling and illegal drug trade he did to fund his organization…

The only thing I could see with detail was his black cloak, a bloody human handprint firmly placed on their chest as a logo. A blank mask covered their face, leaving only room for his blazing light greyish eyes to show…

Hmm…

No not the time…I've been insulted…

" _Excuse_ me…I'll have you kn—."

" **Now is not the time for bickering. We must make haste…my Queen's plan is slowly coming to fruition. There have been rumors...of a _strange_ creature capable of controlling Grimm. Sicking the beast on a Beacon team should prove informative."**

I really hope to god that this _plan_ fails…

Or else no one on this airship will survive the aftermath…but at least in death…

Raven has the chance of inheriting my legacy…

* * *

 **Author's Note:**

If you've read this far you might have an idea of where I want to take this story. RWBY already has that general Sci Fi fantasy thing they've been going with. With here there'll be a little more emphasis on the science part, mixed in with a little magic and spirit shenanigans. Think RWBY with a hint of Mass Effect and FMA obviously. I'll be going more indepth with Alchemy's ultimate history as well as delve into the altered history of this world.

So look forward to that.


	17. Year One Arc: Chapter 13

**Author's Note:**

Hello there! I have a new chapter out and ready for publishing. This is a little shorter than other chapter's but not by too much. This will focus a bit more on the perspective of other characters, something I plan to do more of in the future. While Summer is the main protagonist and the main narrator, others should get some love too.

So thanks for waiting, and please enjoy and follow if you like.

* * *

 **Chapter Thirteen: One Penny at a Time…**

(Penny's POV)

I woke up from sleep mode, recuperating my energy as my Dust crystal power core absorbed ambient aura. The others were still asleep, needing to rest their organic bodies. I blinked, taking in the images humans _couldn't_ see and interposing them into a visual form. Around my arm I could see dozens, if not hundreds of motes of light surrounding it.

The simple astral beings were in every direction I could see…the walls, the air, the floor, and even on one's person.

Constructs of an aura like substance…or perhaps more accurately, aura's precursor? They seem to manifest with phenomena in the physical world, birthed in flames and rains alike.

Living in a parallel plane that can not usually be accessed with our physical forms. But can be accessed by the soul. Usually through meditation or sleep…or forcibly dragged in during certain times where the barrier grows thin.

My mother had found that the lesser spirits…the plankton of the Spirit ecosystem, reacted with aura to form the crystalline substance known as Dust. Fire and flame aspects become Burn Dust, water and flood aspects become Water Dust…

But…those were only the simplest of their kind…those who survived the culling, grew to become something far more powerful…I could even sense one…two of them in fact.

One was of _far_ greater power…and I could not pinpoint its location. The other was of a simpler nature…and bound to the silver eyed girl.

Purest light…like a piece of a greater whole.

Reality shifted…and I sat still on my bed…coming face to face with the flashlight figure of _another_ greater spirit.

" **The machine with a soul.** " I shifted my communication module from vibrational frequency to radio signals…much faster as well as more discrete.

"Mendicant Bias? Is there something you need?" I asked him, curiously compelling me. The machine like Spirit nodded, and I waited patiently. He was a strange teacher…he had taught me much about the world and it's secrets. He had taken my semblance and aura to levels beyond anything most of my class could manage.

He said there were four tiers of aura …the first being simple summoning and basic use of aura as a barrier, the second tier is control of one's semblance, the third is aura mastery, limited largely to prodigies and fully trained Huntsmen. Most students are taught this from a young age though most don't fully enter this tier until after graduation. This provides a number of passive abilities…an increased strength boost, agility, or stamina beyond what basic aura control already gives you.

This also allows for users to manipulate Dust much more effectively…beyond simple and uncontrolled detonation. They can use their aura to levitate Dust particles and shoot it at will without a weapon.

Most of the first years had some limited dabbling in this level…and once mastered will provide a great boost in their aura reserves.

The fourth tier…was a myth…to most. A level of mastery and power unheard of. Only a few select people are capable of it, and even then it's usually only in a fairly limited manner. My father hypothesized that the "heritable" Schnee semblance known as _Glyph_ is a form of it, created by the family through decades of work and effort. Even then…it was considered the pinnacle of what modern humans could do.

Mendicant Bias called this advanced state…Auramancy…though to others…it would also be known as Magic. He had said that long ago…Auramancy was as easy as breathing…when the spirits and humanity were practically one and the same.

" **Child…do not be distracted by your mind. Draw an aspect to your hand. I wish to see how far you have come.** " I gave a confirmatory grin, clenching my fist while carefully monitoring my teammates vitals.

 _All nominal._

Flames were conjured without a speck of dust, burning white hot as my aura reacts explosively with a Flame aspect. My partner stirred and I stopped the flow of outside energy…

" **Good…your skill is coming along nicely. There are only a few who could hope to match you.** "

I tilted my head, speculating on who could have such power.

"The Headmaster? My readings picked…up a _frightening_ amount of aura. Easily twenty times stronger than an elite Huntsmen. Possibly far more…hidden beneath…"

" **Yes but there are a few others…the Silver eyed girl herself has become an expert in external Auramancy. In some ways…it is more difficult to master…the calculations require a strong scientific background.** " He grew silent and ponderous and my eyes lit up

"Are there others who could learn this power?"

" **A few yes have that potential…and they'll need it.** "

"The threat to humanity you are preparing me for?" He nodded again…

" **Humanity and I have always been closely linked…the Grimm…and others…are a threat to my survival. I have become stronger than ever in these times…I will not go gently into the night.** "

"I should be waking them…" he understood, the spirit vanishing into thin air.

Time to start the day…

"SALUTATIONS!"

* * *

I stared intently as Summer Rose took vigorous notes while our teacher spoke about his experiences. At the same time she transcribed those notes in simplified format on a thick black book labeled.

 _Tales of Grimm: The Dark Bestiary_

 _by Summer Flamel Rose_

A fascinating book…and one that would be well received as an academic journal…I turned away, etching the speech into my computerized memory.

The former Valean pilot spoke with nostalgia. "It was an interesting situation…it was only me and my trusty Bullhead versus three dozen Harpies. Horrid things really…they screech out sonic roars that can damage propellers and gun barrels." I could see Summer write out a quick sketch…an accurate depiction visible.

Resembling a demented winged women…the mutant Imps are strong and absurdly fast Grimm…with records showing speeds of over seven hundred miles an hour for many. They've been known to empty out entire warships…necessity creating the need for built in and sound shielded turrets to defend a ship.

Once those turrets activate…Harpies tend to be torn apart. While they are fast and spry, that is in exchange for relative fragility. The average Harpy is not much tougher than an average beowolf…one or two exceptions not included…

"…So I had to ride one of those she-beasts in the air and crash it into…"

My lens focused on Umber's grunts, feeling an _odd_ emotion flashing through my processors, as the same two individuals from before attempted to…

 _FWOOSH!_

"Mister Gray? I would like it if you could keep from spontaneously combusting in class…" Professor Brass rightly chastised Gray for his incident, the student backing off from his harassment.

Umber rubbed her eyes in disbelief…briefly glancing over at me. I gave her a smile and a wave and she blinked owlishly before shaking her head.

I turned away, hoping to record some glimpses of Summer only to…

Wilt under her calculating and cold look…I could see my face reflected back on her clear eyes. For a moment I was nervous…until she…winked, twisting away, listening intently to the lesson.

Aww…I suppose she had noticed…she must have had a sensory Semblance of some kind. And her use of Alchemy would attune her to certain energies.

But…the most important thing I've learned today…

Is that Summer looked so cool and calm…she must be very experienced!

* * *

(My POV)

Jesus fuck! That was nerve wracking as fuck! How the heck did I keep my cool back there?!

I noticed Penny doing _something_ that clearly wasn't a semblance or technology…yet I decided not to say a word.

Again…she was only the biggest elephant in the room…the world had changed dramatically in the last six years. More so even including my birth and whatever ripple effects they may have had.

How the hell she was doing what she was doing…I'm not entirely sure. But I've felt that same energy before…it's what fuels my Alchemy. Though she's taken to a far more direct interface than I've managed so far. It's kind of…utterly bullshit…

But…someone had to be teaching her…and it can't be Ozpin or Salem…one I've been keeping tabs on that old wizard, and two Salem is a bitch…

Yeah.

So who? And why? Who would be willing to teach a machine brought to life. Then again if I was them I would totally be willing just to see what would happen.

I would normally internally monologue about what I had learned in Grimm Studies…but instead I thought I would make a change for today.

We had been in class for…around two months now…at this point we were quite used to living in close proximity to one another, barring a noodle incident or three.

One of them had led to me finding Raven's cup size…so that's a "bonus" if you could call it that.

A 42E if anyone was asking…very nice.

 _Ahem…_

"Sums? You okay?" I nodded absently, biting my lip while we sat on a marble seat around a round table. Kind of reminded me of those umbrella tables that my college used to have. But fancier and much…much tougher…

Currently we were study buddies…though by study buddies I really meant he would copy off of my notes so he could figure it out. It helps that I have fantastic notes on Grimm…

Fascinating creatures really…alchemy has little _direct_ effect on them, my suspicions being that they weren't made of a form of matter-energy I was familiar with. But I could still bring them down without rearranging their molecules…

Though they had been the subjects of the occasional experiment…using alchemy to forcibly inject aura in a Grimm. The way the soul energy reduced their integrity was fascinating…and made some some amount of sense. If aura is considered the light of the soul…then aura should cause some decay, a much lesser form of the eye beams of a Silver Eyes.

Which from what little I've found has a link to one's soul. Not as a direct power source…but certainly connected. I've found others things too…mainly by looking at Grimm under a microscope, not many attempts by others to do that. For _obvious_ reasons…

Grimm…substance for lack of a better word, seems to emulate conventional matter and particles much in the same way as aura does.

It's potential is lesser though…likely explaining the gap between the average Grimm and the average Huntsmen. Though they didn't have the same limit of _size_ that physical matter di—

My nose scrunched up as a finger flick struck from above. I growled, trying to swat Tai on the shoulder for his transgression.

"Summer! Please stop getting stuck in your cute trances." I was scandalized. I would not stand for his insult.

"Don't call me cute! Fear me! I am the night. I am ba—mmph." Tai covered my mouth with a raised eyebrow.

"Summer you aren't a bat. You're not even a bat _Faunus_ , so stop." I pouted, licking his hand. He recoiled in disgust and I giggled. Serves him right.

" _Buuttt…_ Tai I can echolocate using my semblance. That makes me like a bat." I crossed my arms over my bust, my eyes widening in tandem. He snorted and I felt disappointment that I had failed. It used to be easy to convince him to do what I said, just a hint of a pout and some watering eyes and he'd be putty in my hands.

Now the only way I could then to do whatever I want would be to seduce him. And that is _not_ happening. I'm good at being cute…not at being a sexy seductress. It'd probably be a cringe-fest that would be good blackmail for _other_ people.

He sternly crosses his arms. "That would make you a dolphin not a bat."

I tapped my chin. "Huh? Or an orca…Orcaman?"

He gently slammed his hands on my shoulders with a desperate look. "Summer _noo!_ "

I posed with a fist up in the air. "Summer _yesss!_ "

Metal clanged against concrete frantically and I ended our little spat. I could see Penny running toward us…

With _Raven_ knocked unconscious in her arms…

I rose up from my sight, a twitch making its way across my face. Penny dashed forward, nearly throwing Raven into my arms before dropping back. She readjusted the women, Penny's lip quivering and anxiety hiding behind her mechanical eyes.

"What happened?" My voice was dull, a sheer all encompassing rage burning.

 _No one will touch my friends…they're…a-all I have…_

I checked her pulse(as well as everything else) with a quick outburst of my semblance.

No aura…her body worn out…but no injuries. But maybe…I activated a circle, flowing a small amount of my own aura into her own body. Her heart rate stabilized and she visibly relaxed…

"I-I we were both in practice combat. Raven friend had wanted to see what I could do more directly…she said that she had improved her Semblance control."

"She exhausted herself…shit…" I cursed, asking Penny to gently place Raven on the seat. I guided Raven's head and neck down to rest against the table. She dropped a bit, and I brushed my fingers to get an even closer inspection.

Ok…everything was fine…her organs are functional, and while she used up her aura. A good sleep and a big lunch should be a good pick me up.

"Is Raven going to be okay?" Taiyang sounded worried and I didn't blame him. I freaked out too. But she was going to be fine…it was a real good thing I had become a veritable expert on the human body. I didn't have a medical license but I might as well have one, with the unique precision of my semblance.

"She's fine…a little cat nap and some food in her belly and she'll be good to go." I brushed her back with a gentle touch, my heartbeat slowing to a normal rate. Taiyang took the other end, keeping an eye out so she wouldn't slip out onto the floor.

Raven was a restless sleeper…and had fallen off of the bed more times than I could count.

32.5 times actually…one time she only fell halfway off _sooo._

"Mmmm…stupid Qrow…I'll…mmm…kick…yur ass." Raven muttered in her aura exhaustion induced state. I patted her head, unable to contain my glee at her adorableness. Despite the physical threat against her own brother.

"Hey…you know I think it's pretty cute how you act so aloof sometimes yet… you do stuff like this." I shrugged, admitting that he wasn't wrong. I loved cute things…puppies, kittens, baby alligators…and a sleep talking Raven is _adorable._

"Hey…you think she'll wake up soon? I don't exactly want the looks from bridal carrying her to our room." Raven's burning scarlet eyes suddenly looking into mine was the answer to my question.

"W-What are you looking at? Stop it…or I'll punch you…" Raven mumbled a quiet threat and I sighed. She wobbled onto her feet, and I jumped forward offering her a shoulder to lean on when she almost fell flat on her face.

"Please…quit trying to do things by yourself…it's not healthy. Overexerting yourself will have the opposite effect."

She growled. "Not like you don't do the same…" I raised an eyebrow, feeling some strong amusement. Her expression had shifted, and I could tell she realized her supposition had been wrong.

"Nah…Summer is pretty cooperative…she's made some mistakes but…nothing like you." Tai added with a smirk. She scowled and I pushed forward, lightly dragging her along.

"We'll help you get back to your room if you want." I offered her, softening the blow with a kind smile. I checked…takes time to get away from my usually scary lip based expressions…

"Whatever…"

Good…she's learning…

* * *

(Penny's POV)

I scanned the raven haired girl with close interest, my sensors picking up wisps of lingering _magical_ energy. They clearly didn't belong to her…just a leftover from close contact with someone else. Likely from many weeks ago if the amount was going correct.

But whoever it was their power certainly dwarfed anything anyone in the entire academy. Not even Professor Ozpin could hope to catch up…though the energy _did_ seem oddly similar…

I stepped out of view, entering a camera's blindspot, as well as manipulating the recordings of several others…

I lashed out…a _Light_ infused fist embedding itself deep into the core of a dark imposing entity. I cocked an eyebrow at the strange creature…resembling a slimy black slug, the beast was not Grimm or animal…

It was almost certainly a spirit of some kind, one of darkness…more specifically one that feeds on stress and rage. Likely attracted to Raven for whatever trouble her bandit tribe had brung her.

In most cases…they are harmless, too weak to do much…but those who are a tier above them are far more dangerous…more so than those even stronger.

Other such Spirits are a patient sort, preferring to remain in their domain, and sustain themselves on natural levels of negativity. They are rarely greedy either…so attempts to stoke conflict are rare.

But the medium tiers are more active and strong enough to actually hurt others…

Which is why…

 _CRISHH! HISS!_

I have to purge this one…gathering some light is easy enough in a location like this…

The beast tried to run but it was cleanly burned away by the corrosive nature of light. It proceeded to dissolve and I walked back to my spot, scanning for any eavesdroppers.

 _No spy's in sight…_

I heard a whisper, freezing at the familiar sound…I listened closely.

"Are you sure? I would not know if they are trustworthy or not…" I waited for an answer.

' _They are…'_ I nodded respectfully.

To them it would seem to be an offer of greater training, an opportunity to grow beyond what they once were. To get them ahead of others in their year.

They would accept.

I hope…

* * *

(Raven's POV)

"You want to what?" I asked the odd redhead with a raised eyebrow.

She blinked with a soft smile. "I wish for our teams to participate in training…" the sincerity in her voice was so obvious it almost made me sick.

"Why?" I found that despite that sincerity that I couldn't trust the girl regardless. The strange girl's grin shrunk, but it didn't deter her.

"I have found after a month of more of observation that I wish to be even closer friends. And friends help one another don't they?" Behind me, the rest of team Sauerkraut and Apricot looked at one another with curious looks.

We had chosen to meet up in our room when Penny had called us together for this…reason…

Her partner seemed a little affronted. "But were _already_ doing that! Aren't we?" The blonde puppet master was…rather _bouncy_ as her aggravation took hold.

Penny proceeded to comfort her. "No…no of course! I just mean I want to provide _additional_ help."

"Like what?" I blinked back surprise at how easily the giant of a man known as Cassin snuck up on me. Penny eyes widened and she formed her signature smile.

"Ah! Yes…I wish to teach you some of the advanced aura techniques passed down to me by my teacher…"

Teacher…? Summer especially seemed interested, if her sparkling eyes were any indication…

 _Too bright._

"I thought that maybe your father or Miss Kitsune would have taught you."

Summer knows Penny's parents? Then how comes she doesn't know anything about an apparent adopted or related child?

Suspicious…

"No they did…until I found my master." Summer leaned in with a pursed lip, inching almost off of the bed. "He's…a rather _strange_ man. But his knowledge of aura is beyond _anyone_ living on this planet. Though he himself is a little out of practice." She sounded very respectful of this teacher of hers.

He must have been very skilled if he got an emotional response that strong out of our…sister team's resident robot.

The Faunus…Umber's bunny ears perked up, some form of hope lighting up in our eyes. She had yet to make progress on what her semblance may be…perhaps she thought her teammate could help.

"That sounds _amazing._ A wonder that we've never heard of such a person." Penny didn't reply, but she did seem to understand the oddity.

"Indeed…"

I flinched when Summer clapped her hands together. "Welp I don't mind if the rest of my team is okay with it. It'll be like the practice we already do…but even better!" She was bouncing from foot to foot, and I could see the gears turning in her head. I couldn't say no _that_ face, none of us would dare. And Apricot wouldn't say no to Umber.

"Excellent!" Penny vibrated in place. "Then we should start now!" This could give us an edge on our fellow students…and I do _relish_ a challenge.

* * *

God…I was so wrong.

"Concentrate friend Raven. Meditation is an important part of this training." I growled but forced myself to calm down.

I took a deep breath…

"You're sure this is going to work?"

 _Qrow…_ you bastard…

"It works…but the method does tend to vary based on personality…though I have heard that lucid dreaming and exercise can help."

"So why don't just I try that? I'm not exactly…a paragon of patience Penny." The redhead seemed pensive, her eyes lighting up.

"Perhaps you are right…you are a more…ah _passionate_ person than me. Something that evokes strong emotions may work better for you"

I'll continue with meditation…it may be difficult. But the brief moments when it works…I feel a comfortable sense of calm.

"I'll try exercise…I'm more a doer than a sitter." The tallest teen in the room stood up, and Taiyang followed behind him. The rest of us remained behind while…Qrow…tried to fall asleep…

Dammit Qrow!

I felt a flicker of aura from my left and my eyebrow twitched at the aura outflow from my partner's body. It wasn't much above her usual level but…it seemed to be growing more…stable?

Summer opened her eyes, and I blinked at the brief flash of white light, lasting less than a second. I felt a grin form…and my heartbeat picked up. Her calm expression shifted, the wide eyed girl grinning back at me.

"Now you're starting to get it." I glanced down marveling at the red flow around my skin, brighter than her own, but… _thinner?_

"How?" The girl shrugged…and while my brother had not gotten any results, neither had Umber or Jayleen.

"It'll take time…real results likely won't be seen for many months for you." I frowned but took it in stride. I wanted to be strong, and if this was what I had to do I would do it.

"Can you at least show us what your… _training_ has done for you?" Umber's ears were twitching violently, I could feel the frustration roll off in waves.

Penny nodded, and everyone's pupils shrunk to pin pricks under the sudden onslaught of _pressure._ My heart and lungs felt like they were being constricted…like a mountain was bearing down on me.

 _It was terrifying…I had only felt like this only twice before._

"Girl…What in god's name has that _master_ of yours been teaching you?!" Jayleen has beads of sweat run down her forehead. Penny relaxed and the pressure faded, like it had never been there.

Summer was seeing the strange girl in a whole new light if her dropped jaw was a sign. "You were holding back, during our spar weren't you?" Her voice was soft, but held a tinge of excitement waiting to leap free.

Penny nodded. "I was. I did not want to hurt you by mistake. Your aura is much larger than the average student but it would not last long against my full power. So I suppressed myself…"

"That is not fair…" I ignored the hot blush rising at Summer's cute pout.

Cute? Why…never mind that.

"I want to fight you again." Penny took a step back at my growl, and Summer had a worried look. "More specifically I want the whole _team_ to fight you."

"I don't like the idea of fighting a monster Raven." I smirked and Qrow growled once he understood what I was telling him.

 _You're not going to back down from a challenge are you? Little brother?_

"Maybe when you're more learned?"

I glared downward, a wild grin appearing on my face. "I can wait."

Penny said nothing but I already knew she had agreed. Her eyes told the rest of the story. It'll take time and effort but I _will_ become stronger. Stronger than anyone on this planet if I have to.

Just a Penny a day…

…

…

Damn it those two are getting to me!

* * *

(3rd POV)

A clattering of hot chocolate sounded out through the room as a certain Headmaster nearly cracked his favorite mug. His eyes widened imperceptibly, looking around for the sudden _burst_ of aural energy.

He relaxed once the aura signature became more familiar. One of his oddest and brightest students. Fortunately it was only those with strong knowledge of aura who could pick up the sheer brilliance from this distance. Anyone else would only feel a brief passing gust of wind and nothing more.

He lifted the mug to his lips, taking a slow and steady sip before letting out a satisfied sigh.

"Miss Goodwitch?" From the shadows, a certain blonde haired witch emerged. Her hair was out of place, her eyes wide and fearful. "Are you alright?" He held genuine concern for his student.

"I let my sister befriend a _monster._ " He took another relaxed sip, the young women before him freezing at his audacity. She waved her hands in the air, purple aura crackling. "Are you not concerned. Her strength is beyond most of the first, second, and third year students! Only myself and the two remaining members of my team could put a stop to her!"

He took a deep breath, meeting eyes with her. "There's no need to be concerned. I know that girl and her creator well. They are kind-hearted people. And protective of those few they've come to consider friends or family."

The fourth year student was still unsure. "I'm just…worried, that's all."

"And I don't blame you. But Miss Rose is a wily one…and a promising student. She'll be alright." Goodwitch straightened herself up, flattening the wrinkles in her uniform.

"I suppose. I'll have to take my leave then. I have to get to class." Ozpin watched the women walk away, disappearing as the elevator door closed behind her.

He took a third sip, his eyes drinking in the sight of his immaculate office. His eyes saw what others couldn't.

His grip tightened on his cane, left out of sight of the blonde telekinetic. The wizard's vision focused on a small chip containing hours of video…his fingers played with the usb like drive, his eyes suddenly appearing older and more tired than humanly possible.

"An unexpected development…but one that could prove to bring much good to the world." He replied to thin air, his eyes flashing with energy. Ozpin crushed the chip in his hands, his powerful aura protecting him from the splinters of silicon and metal. He stood up from the chair, his cane resounding deeply against the floor of his office.

The headmaster eyed the various files he had compiled of his various students. Eight particular subjects were looked at with more closeness.

"So…How will I make use of this? The game has changed, and I can't afford to act like I always have. So I'll have to adapt…" a phone call interrupted his musing, and he swiftly picked up expecting an emergency.

"Yes?"

"Headmaster…it seems the statue has been thrown into the forest…for the… How many times now? _Fifteenth?_ "

He sighed. "The fiftieth actually." He could feel the women on the other line wince.

"So is there anyway we ca—."

"I'll have to wring out some funds from the Council's grubby fingers but I'll manage." He hung up as the staff member thanked him and he sagged into his vaguely phallic chair.

* * *

(My POV)

"Where am I?" I drifted in this interesting little void. This time I didn't have a little tv to watch stuff with. Whether or not that meant that it was over who knows…but then that means I can lucid dream for…some amount of time? Hard to say…

I imagined the existence of gravity and a floor and I quit floating, landing on my feet.

"Interesting…maybe I should try to imagine a bunch of hot, sexy la—nahhh!" I shook my head at the idea. There was something else far more interesting that I could do.

My arms morphed into wings and with a running leap I was suddenly in the air. The blackness melted away, only to be replaced by a Cretaceous landscape.

All around me I could see the massive shadows of long gone pterosaurs, the plane sized beasts letting out hearty bellows and hisses. Below me, a vast landscape of forest and cold plains was visible. There roaming herds if hornee giants made their way across, occasionally harassed by a sharp toothed short armed predator.

"YES! LUCID DREAMING FOR THE WIN! I—AKHH!" I screamed out in shock when I crashed against a very solid object.

My body felt a sudden chill, my hairs standing up.

 _This…I remember this…_

Two bony hands gripped onto my frightened shoulders, and I looked into the multicolored eyes of…

"D-Death?" The entity nodded silently, and I found myself dropping into a plush chair.

"How are you?"

I rapped my fingers against the chair. "G-Good. I'm not dead again right?" He shook his head.

 _Thank god…_

I remembered his question. "And I've been doing…well enough. As you can see." I gestured to myself with am almost proud stance. "I've grown up…again. I've made a life for myself here, and I hope to change things if I'm able."

He nodded and I shuddered at the rattling of bones. "Good, good…I wanted to be sure."

…

"Why are you here?" He wasn't startled in the least by my question and I didn't expect him to be.

"A quick checkup. It's interesting how such a _small_ difference changes so much."

I deadpanned.

" _Small_ is not the word I would use…there's a _shitload_ of differences! Whatever 'canon' there was. It got shot in the damn head and the body set on fire!"

"Interesting choice of words…" for a moment I entertained the idea of smacking him. But I decided he wasn't worth the trouble…

"So is there anything you want to tell me?"

"Nope…well there is one thing."

Shit…please don't tell me I'm getting sent on some crazy quest out here.

His grip on my shoulders tightened, and I gave him an uneasy smile. He smiled back at me.

"Do what you wish…"

I don't understand…what he's saying.

"Woah!" The reaper of death spun me around with an excited gleam in his glowing eyes. The dream shifted back and forth between various infinite landscapes.

"It's simple really. A part of you is unsure, of whether or not you should really change the future. You have taken small steps but…we both know you can do more."

I suppose…but a lot has changed because of me…

 _Out of a mere ill thought whim…_

I frowned at the sudden incoming thought, biting my lip in anxiety. More…huh? It wasn't like everything wasn't sent off kilter anyway…so why didn't I?

The image of a certain witch came to mind…

"You will be alright…"

Hmm…maybe.

"Can I wake up now?" He smiled again and I screamed as I started falling. Endlessly dropping last closing curtain of infinite silky cloth, as dark as the darkest void.

For a brief moment…I saw _it…_ the light within my soul…

 _Calling out for me._

* * *

I leapt up, letting out a hoarse breath. I spit out a strand of my own hair, my nose scrunching up in grossed out shock.

My bangs had been knocked out of place and with a frustrated sigh I brushed them back. The sun was only just starting to come up and the team was still asleep, so I was all alone now.

I haven't spoken with the manifestation of Death in over seventeen years…and that doesn't bode well for me or those around me. But he said I would be fine…whether that means I come out of this psychologically well is another story.

I lightly scratched the back of my neck, satisfying an annoying itch for a moment.

 _I should start getting ready._

"Suppose I should…not like I'm going back to sleep any time soon…" I quietly made my way to my drawer, containing both my clean uniform and a set of underclothes. My usual pair of men's underwear paired with an unnecessarily lacy bra courtesy of Jayleen.

Said I should at least _pretend_ I'm a woman…like that is going to happen. I'll dress how I want. If I want to wear pants, imma wear pants, if I want to wear a pretty dress I'll wear a dress.

Wonder how a dress would fit on my old body?

…

I don't think I remember what I used to look like anymore…it's been a long time since then. But I suppose I _did_ look cuter now…that's a real treat

That a pimple?

No…just a smudge on the mirror…

Should close the door behind me…don't want to suffer from the same mistake Raven did.

Tai, that lucky bastard…

Anyway…lock check. Uniform check. Shampoo and a bar of soap?

Check.

I looked in the mirror, posing with both arms on my hips. My chest bounced with the movement and I grinned.

"As sexy and hot as ever? Check." I snapped my fingers, winking at my lovely reflection.

There were times when I was in really high spirits, feeling good about myself. Today was clearly that day…I'd probably be humming Earth songs under my breath while skipping…

Okay…while I strip what exactly are my future plans? Right…I think we're going out to hunt some Grimm as an assignment, get to work a little more as a group and stuff. Out in the Forever Fall forest…that would be a few weeks from now, I believe.

Should go fine. What could go wrong?

…

…

 _What have I done?_

Now we're all going to d—

* * *

(3rd POV)

In a distant place of endless Fall, Murthy's law came into full motion. In a section of the ancient forest, older than humanity itself. Fire had come to the land…hundreds of trees reduced to ash and dust, leaving nothing but dead soil and rotting masses of insects.

Sitting on top of this mass of disgust and fading life was an enormous mountain of a creature. Easily three hundred and fifty meters from tail tip to its wide rodent like maw. The beast oozed a disgusting green slime…slowly rotting and choking the forest life around it with the growing pool of green fluid. Slowly it's pupiless red eyes opened, long spine like lashes, many meters long fluttering down. Antenna twitched, flicking from side to side as it's rat and fish like head rumbled.

It started to awaken, rocking back and forth as a _song_ sounded out though the forest, sending every being in the forest with any common sense running. If more had remained they would hear the nonsense poem, the Grimm Aberration the only one willing and able to enjoy it.

" _Twas brillig and the slithy toves. Did gyre and gimble in the wave; All mimsy were the borogoves, and the mome raths outgrabe…_ " the beast swayed back and forth, knocking over the still trees and crushing the fleeing maggots.

" _Beware the Jabberwock…_ " the creature's neck stretched to its full length. The snake like body, writhing in seeming agony to others. But within what was considered it's mind was a dance of triumph. Strength growing in bounds and leaps. Size and mass growing, its skin shredding in a horrifying mockery of molting. A symbol was burned into its chest, the last trace of the mad Merlot shimmering with green light.

" _The jaws that bite,_ " it swallowed a lesser nevermore, the beast of Grimm reduced to black paste with a single bite. " _The claws that catch._ " Long hairy taloned fingers, like the legs of a tarantula lashed out. Crushing an Ursa with a mere addition of pressure. " _Beware the Jubjub bird, and shun The Frumious_ _Bandersnatch!_ " The voice singing became elevated, shaking the air with a mad glee.

" _He took his vorpal sword in hand. Long time the manxome foe he fought. So rested he by the Tumtum tree. And stood awhile in thought._ " For a moment the leviathan stood stock still, a pensive expression on its inhuman excuse for a face. It's thin, scaly legs wobbled on theropod like feet, claws the length of entire buses logging trees down. It's leathery bat like wings flapped, gusts of wind blowing with each movement of the appendages.

" _And in an uffish thought he stood, The Jabberwock, with eyes of flame. Came whiffling through the tulgey wood, and burbled as it came._ "

The Jabberwocky indeed did burble….

* * *

 **Author's Note:**

Surprise...?


End file.
